André Schuiteman, Ed De Vogel, Charlie D. Heatubun, Jimmy F. Wanma, Filep Mambor, Daawia Suhartawan & Eline Hoogendijk
 Bulbophyllum irianae Photo: Daawia Suhartawan  Bulbophyllum irianae Photo: Eline Hoogendijk   Bulbophyllum adolinae Photos: André Schuiteman | Abstract: Two new species of Bulbophyllum are described here as Bulbophyllum irianae (sect. Hoplandra) and Bulbophyllum adolinae (sect. Peltopus) Bulbophyllum irianae ist most similar to Bulbophyllum obovatifolium J.J.Sm., but differs in the apex of the median sepal which is a long, solid, terete, subulate awl c. 0.8 cm long that is adaxially in the lower half flat, has no crest or keel, and narrows continuously and gradually into very thin, narrowly acute tip (versus median sepal keeled, acute, concave, the top half in the middle conduplicate, laterally compressed); the lip from above slender narrowly triangular with a narrowly acute apex and a smooth upper surface without ornamentation (versus lip from above tongue-shaped with an obtuse apex and a channeled upper side with two ribs and a low small rib in the middle); lateral sepals c. 8.2 cm long and 6 times twisted around each-other (versus lateral sepals c 4.5 cm long and not twisted). Bulbophyllum harposepalum Schltr. is often treated as a synonym of B. obovatifolium. It differs from B. irianae in the much smaller, not twisted sepals, the broader and obtuse lip with a median depression and obtuse apex, and in the median sepal which is towards the top conduplicate-compressed and keel-like, rather blunt, not gradually tapering. It grows as a crown epiphyte in slightly disturbed rain forest with trees up to c. 45 m tall, with much undergrowth. Terrain undulating to steep. Elevation c. 300 m. Flowering in the wild in February. Bulbophyllum adolinae differs from B. octarrhenipetalum J.J.Sm. in the terminal callus of the column-foot, which is bilobed, with one lobe pointing upwards and one, almost equally large, lobe pointing downwards (versus only one upwards-pointing callus in B. octarrhenipetalum); rostellum minute, erect (versus rostellum distinctly protruding, porrect); petals only 0.6 mm wide (versus petals 0.9 - 2.5 mm wide), sepals with glabrous, not ciliate, margins, and the bright yellow lip (versus lip white or purple). A thorough revision of Bulbophyllum sect. Peltopus was published by J.J. Vermeulen (1993). Among the 32 species recognized by him, only B. octarrhenipetalum J.J.Sm. is similar enough that a careful comparison is required to tell them apart. Vermeulen's view, B. octarrhenipetalum is an extraordinarily variable species. Field studies are needed in order to establish if the variation is truly infraspecific and not caused by hybridization. Bulbophyllum adolinae was discovered in 2014 during a joint field trip in the Arfak Mountains, West Papua Province, Indonesia, carried out by staff of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (André Schuiteman and Marie Briggs) and the Universitas of Papua. It is a Epiphyte on moss-covered tree trunks in montane forest. Elevation 1970 m. Flowering observed in July. Published in OrchideenJournal, Vol. 6-5: 3 - 8 |
