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Acianthinae_species
Corybas helensis S.P.Lyon
Nomenclature
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Subgenus: CorybasSection: Gastrosiphon
SUMMARY
Plant: terrestrial herb
Tuber: ovoid, 13 × 10 mm
Stem: slightly angular, 12 mm long
Cataphyll: 6 mm, acute
Leaf: grayish green with pale veins and broad whitish midrib above, suffused purple between veins below, sessile, ovate to elliptic, base truncate to slightly cordate, slightly decurrent on stem, 20–40 × 20 mm, glabrous, margins slightly undulate and revolute, apiculate; veins reticulate, two veins on either side of the midrib, the outermost extending most of the way to the apex
Peduncle: purplish, c. 1 mm long
Bract: purplish, narrowly triangular, clasping base of ovary, 10.5 mm long, keeled, subulate
Ovary: 4.5 mm long, ribbed
Flower: solitary, upright, colors as follows: Dorsal sepal pure white on outer surface, inner surface with dark purple patch inside hood towards apex, lateral sepals and petals whitish, outer surface of labellum tube white with purple on ventral inflated part, spurs white, inner surface of labellum blade strongly marked purple, with numerous fine purple longitudinal streaks merging towards solid purple margin and becoming narrower laterally, pale “window” at back of labellum tube visible through opening in blade, ovary green with irregular purple streaks
Dorsal sepal: spathulate-obovate with broad base, 29 × 9 mm, broadly rounded, hooded over labellum; c. 13 strongly crested veins on outside, becoming irregularly ridged towards the apex
Lateral sepals: falcate, c. 7.5 mm long, emerging from behind spurs
Lateral petals: falcate, 3 mm long
Labellum: from tubular basal part, ventral part of tube inflated and laterally compressed, abruptly curved downward and spreading into 8 mm wide expanded blade, 17 mm long when flattened out, inner surface of blade densely hispid, margins shortly fimbriate, opening to floral tube rounded, without a boss
Spurs: narrowly conical, c. 2 mm long
Column: upright, 3 × 2 mm, anther narrower; ventral pad 1 × 2 mm
Capsule: not seen.
Distribution: Endemic to New Guinea, recorded from the western central highlands of Papua New Guinea (Hela, Western Highlands, and Enga Provinces).
Ecology: Terrestrial in thick moss in montane forest.
Elevation: c. 2600–3150 m.