Polystachya paniculata Rolfe

An erect epiphytic plant, 22–40 cm. long.. Pseudobulbs cylindrical, clustered, strongly compressed, 3–4-noded, grooved when old, 5–18 cm. long, 13–22 mm. diameter, 3–4-leaved.. Leaves distichous, ligulate, suberect-spreading, narrowed to the more or less unequally bilobed apex, 10–30 cm. long, 2–3.4 cm. wide.. Inflorescence generally longer than the leaves, a many-branched raceme, many-flowered, to 21 cm. long, subtended by 1–3 obtuse to acute, ancipitous sheaths; peduncle glabrous, 5–13 cm. long, ± covered by the basal sheaths; rhachis terete, glabrous; branches suberect, slightly incurved, to 6 cm. long, many-flowered.. Flowers small, flame-red or orange with red markings on the lip.. Dorsal sepal lanceolate, acute, 3 mm. long, 0.8 mm. wide; lateral sepals obliquely lanceolate, acute, 3.7 mm. long, 1.8 mm. wide, forming with the column-foot an obscurely conical mentum 1.3 mm. long.. Petals oblanceolate, subacute, 2.7–2.8 mm. long, 0.5 mm. wide.. Lip ovate to elliptic, entire, acute, 2.8 mm. long, 1.7 mm. wide, disc with a callus, concave in front.. Column semiterete, truncate, 1 mm. long.