| Field notes | Terrestial herb. Rhizome long-creeping (to 70 cm between neighbouring leafy shoots), to 2.5 cm diam., scales cream. Leafy shoot to 3 m long. Base to 5 cm diam., pale pink - especially when young. Sheath green. Ligule to 14 mm long, green. Petiole 20 mm long, with callus at base. Lamina to 62x14 cm. Inflorescence from rhizome, subterranean, only upper half of flower appearing above ground. One flower open at a time. Peduncle 3.5-6 cm long, scales cream. Spike 4.5-5x2.5 cm (bracts only; flower extended 2.5 cm above bracts). Fertile bract and bracteole cream. Calyx cream, pale pink in upper 1/3. Corolla tube cream, lobes red. Labellum red, apex 3 cm long, bilobed (incission 12 mm). Filament pale red. Anther red. Stigma dark red. Taste of centre of leafy shoot base: mild with slight diesel or aniseed like E. megalocheilos. Photographed. Material in spirit. DNA sampled. |
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