Journal Number 93
November 2005

ORIGINAL PAPERS

Characters of Nematoceras "Pollok"
Noted by Bruce Irwin

The flower shares characters of several other forms including C. rivularis s.s. and C. "whiskers" but shows
other characters which set them apart from those species.

• The flower is very small, perhaps due to an unfavourable situation.

• Lateral sepals are very upright - nothing unusual but the lateral petals are unusual in that they
  are very strongly down-pointing and facing almost straight ahead.

• Shape of labellum very like C. iridescens s.s., but very narrow, barely wider than the dorsal sepal.
  Margins below opening to interior form a triangular apex (about 50 degrees), no apiculus.

• The front edge of the large (usually forward-pointing) auricle, projects beyond the ovary.

• Entrance to interior, low on labellum and very narrow.

• Unusually wide purplish bands extend from interior onto "apron" of labellum.

• As seen from the side, the back of dorsal sepal is almost circular (as in C. "whiskers").

• Flower from behind forms an elongated diamond.

• Ovary as long as flower is tall resulting in a "leggy" appearance as often seen in C. "whiskers".

• Even the column is unusual. The viscid disc obscures about half of the pollinia, only a small
  basal portion of it covered by the top margin of the stigma.

• The longitudinal section is especially interesting...
  The base of the labellum rises as is usual from the front edge of the ovary but is
  inclined noticeably inward.
  The inner flexure is exceptionally sharp (bent through more than 150 degrees).
  The outer flexure is virtually absent, marked only by a narrowing of the section immediately
  inside the entrance.
  The apical portion curves downward and inward to touch the front edge of the ovary.