| 
| species, from section Dendrocolla 
| are hereby described as new, viz. 
| Thrixspermum bromeliforme from 
| Luzon and Thrixspermum cootesii | 
| from the island of Mindoro. 
The Philippines contain a large assem- 
blage of species from the genus 
Thrixspermum with 24 species already 
named and a few more awaiting formal 
description. Of this number, 14 are mem- 
bers of section Dendrocolla Schitr., char- 
acterized by their more or less upright, 
rigid stems; elongated inflorescences with 
terete peduncles, shortened rachis with 
fleshy, all-directional floral bracts, and 
flowers which have the labellum furnished 
with ornaments such as calli and indumen- 
tum of varying degrees of development 
and placement. This paper deals with the 
description of two more species from this 
section. 
1.7 ‘hrixspermum bromeliforme Suarez 
SP. nov, 
Affinis T. hystrix (Bl.) Rchb. f., sed 
labello forma alio modo; pilus in labello 
longior; floralis bracteae rosulatus, multo 
Magis confertim dispositus. 
Type: Cultivated in the author’s private 
orchid collection in Mabitac, Laguna, with 
flowering observed on 6 May 2006. 
Provenance: Plants purchased from an 
Orchid peddler in Siniloan, Laguna, 
Luzon, Philippines. Holotype WS 773441 
(NSW). 
Description: 
Stems: erect to ascending, quite rigid, at 
Thrixspermum bromeliforme (flower from side) 
The Australian Orchid Review, June/July 2009 
Text and photos by Wally Suarez 
Thrixspermum bromeliforme (flower of 
TYPE specimen) 
least to 22cm long, may branch sparingly, 
aerial roots produced at the nodes all along 
the stem. Leaves: elliptic, smooth, leath- 
ery, shiny, 6.5cm long by 9mm-1.5cm 
wide, tips unequally bilobed and may be 
terminated by an arista. Inflorescences: 
slender, peduncle up to 15.4cm long, erect 
or ascending, smooth, pale green to brown 
with | or 2 acuminate sterile bracts 5 mm 
long; rachis 4-7mm long; floral bracts 
fleshy, acuminate, spreading, 5 mm. long, 
arranged in a rosette. Flowers: up to 1.9cm 
across, slightly fragrant; one to two are 
open at a time. Perianth segments yellow, 
labellum white with dark purple-red dots 
on the outside, a finer speckling of red dots 
is present around the throat and in the spur; 
column white dotted with red at the base. 
Dorsal sepal: oblanceolate to rhomboid- 
spathulate, 1.lcm long by4 mm wide. 
Petals: oblanceolate, 1.lcm long by 
3.5mm wide. Lateral sepals: elliptic-lance- 
olate, 1.2cm long by 4.5-5mm_ wide. 
Labellum: three-lobed, margins fimbriate; 
side lobes broadly triangular, 4mm wide; 
midlobe broadly triangular, lcm wide; 
hairy callus with a rust-orange spot, two- 
pronged, basal portion continuing up to the 
back wall of the spur; spur broad, rounded 
with a narrow cleft in the middle, inside 
with sparse, ball-tipped blackish hairs. 
Column: 3mm _ long, slightly winged; 
stelids mucronate, facing one another, 
0.5mm long. 
Habitat: 
Habitat and altitudinal preferences still 
unknown but are most likely epiphytes in 
brightly-lit situations at low altitudes. In 
October 2008 I have seen specimens 
which purportedly came from the province 
of Aurora in eastern Luzon. 
Recognition: 
Thrixspermum bromeliforme Suarez is 
closely related to T. hystrix (B1.) Rchb. f. 
but differs in the shape of the labellum, and 
in the much longer hairs around it, which 
are present only at the margins (the hairs 
on T. hystrix are found on the upper surface 
of the epichile), and the floral bracts which 
are tightly arranged in a rosette, much 
more compact than in T. hystrix. 
Etymology: 
The specific name was taken from the 
Latin bromeliforme, a reference to the flo- 
ral bracts which have a fanciful resem- 
blance to small bromeliads. 
Thrixspermum bromeliforme 
33 
