Scientific name: Bulbophyllum phitamii Aver.
English name:
Vietnamese name: Cầu diệp phi tâm
Other name:

Short creeping or clustering trunk or branch epiphyte. Rhizome rigid, semi-woody, (4)5–6(6.5) mm in diam., with close pseudobulbs touching each other. Pseudobulbs dull greenish, broadly ovoid to subglobular, (2)2.5–3(3.5) cm across. Leaf obscurely petiolate; leaf blade coriaceous, broadly oblanceolate, (8)10–15(16) cm long, (2)2.2–2.8(3.2) cm wide, tapering into short terete, shallowly grooved petiole-like base, (0.8)1-1.5(1.8) cm long, obtuse or obscurely bilobed at apex. Inflorescence erect or patent to almost horizontal, long stalked, lax, many flowered secund raceme to 60 cm tall; peduncle (20)25–35(40) cm long, straight or slightly flexuose, glaucous light greenish, with 3-4 small sterile papyraceous scales at the base and 2-3 small bracts distant on the scape; rachis (12)14–20(22) cm long, glabrous, straight or slightly curved, with many flowers opening simultaneously. Floral bracts light dull yellowish, papyraceous, narrowly triangular, erect, acuminate, (2)3– 4(4.5) mm long, (0.4)0.6-0.8(1) mm wide. Pedicel and ovary (4)5-6(7) mm long, ovary obconical, grooved, (1)1.2-1.5(1.6) mm in diam. near flower base. Flowers spirally arranged, nodding, turned on one side, not much widely opening, (8)10-12(14) mm across. Sepals dull yellowish, more or less heavily speckled with blackish-purple, sometimes almost entirely dark purple-blackish, spreading, narrowly triangular-ovate, (8.5)9-10(10.5) mm long, lateral sepals (3.2)3.5-4(4.2) mm wide, median sepal twice narrower, all sepals obtuse, sometimes very shortly apiculate, dorsally glabrous, adaxially densely pubescent throughout with short hairs. Petals almost black, obovate, (2.2)2.4-2.5(2.6) mm long, (1.2)1.4-1.5(1.6) mm wide, narrowing to the base, broadening and thickening to the triangular, obtuse apex, pubescent throughout apical half and long ciliate along margin. Lip entirely black, oblong narrowly obovate, flattened, (4.8)5-6(6.2) mm long, 2.8-3.2 mm wide, recurved near the base, attached moveably to the apex of column foot by thin flexible rectangular or subquadrate plate, with 2 fleshy warty longitudinal keels, tomentose throughout with soft short hairs, wrinkled and undulate on flanks, apically often with erect cucullate fold, at the base with 2 down directed narrowly triangular, acute dents. Column dull yellowish, shortly cylindric, broad, 1-1.2 mm tall, 1.8-2 mm wide, with little protruding stigma and rather large triangular, acute stelidia; operculum light yellowish to almost white, hemispheric, (0.7)0.8-0.9(1) mm in diam., long papillose at apex. Etymology. Species is named after orchid enthusiast, Mr. Nguyen Phi Tam collected perfect material for plant description.

Habitat, phenology and conservation status

Short creeping or clustering branch epiphyte. Primary broad-leaved evergreen submontane forests. 800–1000 m. Fl. December – April.

Very rare.

Tentatively estimated

IUCN Red List status - DD.

Distribution

Vietnam: Lam Dong province (Dam Rong district) and Dak Lak province (sine loc.).