Bulbophyllum Pg 5

 

Miscellaneous sections

 

 Section Micromonanthe consists of small plants with solitary flowers - the Section is awaiting a proper defination as it has been a dumping ground for many diverse species. 

Shown is an in-situ photo of B. striatellum growing on moist moss covered boulder.

B. macrochilum (syn B. stella)

A species from Section Intervallatae characterised by closely clustered pseudobulbs and relatively long leaves. The flower stalk is very long and bears succesive flowers which are usually quite big. As you can see, the lip is very prominent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Side view of the  bloom of Bulbophyllum digolense from PNG - the lip points to the left. (Section Intervallatae). 

The photo below shows the small wiry petals and its large rough-edged lip.

I think this is B. rufinum from Thailand. The bulbs are thick and heavy and have a greyish sheen. The small flowers are borne on a long inflorescence about 20cm long and are enclosed by white bracts.

Hapalochilus is sometimes placed in another genus - characterised by closely placed disk-shaped  pseudobulbs and rather small flowers. This is an unknown species from Papua New Guinea.

Bulbophyllum hirtulum is the type species of the Hirtula section which usually have small sombre coloured bloom. 
The flowers of Bulbophyllum blespharitesare arranged in a circular wheel but unlike Cirrohepetalums, they do not open at the same time. This is one of the few Bulbos that are distinct enough to be identified by their vegetative features, having 2 thick leaves borne on a spherical brown pseudobulb.

This is probably B. apodum from S. Thailand, Malaysia and many parts of Borneo and Indonesia. It exhibits mass flowering of its faintly fragrant bloom a few days after a storm. 

B. jacobsonii (syn plumatum) from Indonesia.

A relatively small plant with a long inflorescence about 8cm long (longer than the vegetative parts). The plant appears to self rather willingly and is a easy bloomer for me but the rate of vegetative growth is rather slow. Collectors have told me that in the wild, they do not become specimen size as the older bulb tend to die off. I have recently been shown a plant very similar to this collected from the lowland of East Johore, which would indeed be the first record of this species in Peninsula Malaysia. 

 

 

This rather large Thai Bulbophyllum from Section Careyanum have flowers that appear like  bloody gaping mouths (complete with  long tongues) each armed with a pair of sharp incisors. 

Other Bulbos:

    

 

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