4 
The Philippine Journal of Science 
1936 
chrome. Terrestrial orchids on dry slopes and in humid forests 
at 200 to 1,700 meters altitude. 
NEPHEI.APHYLLUM PULCHRUM Blume. 
Nephelaphyllum pulchrum Blume Bijdr. (1825) 373, /. 22, FI. Jav. 
Orch. (1858) 144, t. 61, f. 1, t. 5U F; Lindl. Gen. & Sp. Orch. 
(1830) 24; Reichb. f. Xenia Orch. 1 (1856) 216, t. 88, f. 1; Miq. 
FI. Ind. Bat. 3 (1859) 675; Bot. Mag. 88 (1862) t. 5332; Hook. F. 
FI. Br. Ind. 5 (1890) 818; J. J. Sm. FI. Buitenz. 6 (Orch. Java) 
(1905) 178, Fig.-Atlas (1909) fig. 135; Schltr. Die Orchideen 
(1927) 127. 
The original description reads as follows: 
“N: floribus dense spicatis, labelli limbo lineis tribus muricatis. 
“Crescit: in locis humidioribus sylvarum Salak. 
" Floret: Januario-Aprili.” —Blume. 
Plants ascending, 10 to 15 cm high; rhizome creeping, slen¬ 
der, rooting at intervals. Leaves three in our plant, submem- 
branaceous, ovate or triangular-ovate, subcordate at the base, 
acuminate-acute at apex, 8.4 to 9 cm long, 4 to 4.2 cm wide 
near the base, uniformly dark purple beneath, silvery green 
with dark green reticulations above; petioles 1.3 to 1.8 cm long. 
Inflorescence terminal, few-flowered; the peduncle clothed with 
several scarious tubular sheaths, erect, about 4 cm or more long. 
Flowers about 2.8 cm across. Sepals and petals reflexed. Se¬ 
pals linear, acute, about 12.7 mm long, 1.8 to 2 mm wide. Pe¬ 
tals oblong-linear, acute, about 13 mm long, 3 mm wide. La- 
bellum large, oblong-obovate when expanded, cuneate at the base, 
slightly retuse, about 10.5 mm long, 11 mm wide when stretched 
out, with three elevated dentate or lacerate lamellae near the 
apex; base of the labellum extended into a short didymous spur 
about 5 mm long. Column stout in proportion to the size of the 
flower, semiterete, the margin expanded into a wing along each 
side. Anther two-horned. Pollinia 8, unequal, in pairs. 
Palawan, on rocks along the bank of Iwahig River, Bur. Sci. 
81158 E. H. Taylor, September 18, 1923. 
The single collection here cited appears to be referable to 
Nephelaphyllum pulchrum Blume, although the long acuminate 
leaves seem aberrant from those of the typical form. 
This species differs from N. mindorense Ames in having much 
larger flowers and dentate (not subentire) keels on the lip. 
Besides the Philippines, it occurs in Borneo, Java, Sumatra, 
and the Straits Settlements. 
