Orchids of New Guinea

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Dendrobium longicolle

Dendrobium longicolle Lindl., Edwards's Bot. Reg. (1840) Misc. 74.

Type: Loddiges cult. (Cuming) s.n. (Singapore) (holo K)

Synonyms:

Diplocaulobium longicolle (Lindl.) Kraenzl., Pflanzenr. (Engler) Orch.-Dendrob. pars 340 (1910).
Dendrobium compressicolle J.J.Sm., Bull. Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg, sér. 2, 3 (1912) 71; Nova Guinea 12, 1 (1913) 39, t. 11, fig. 29.
- Type: Gjellerup 411 (holo BO; iso BO, L, probable iso L, s.n., III-1912, no collector).
Diplocaulobium compressicolle (J.J.Sm.) P.F.Hunt & Summerh., Taxon 10 (1961) 108.

Pseudobulbs crowded, arranged in a row, 1-leaved, gradually narrowing upwards from a slightly swollen base, laterally compressed, triangular in cross-section, 21-22 cm long, at the base c. 1.2 cm wide, at the slightly widened apex 0.7 cm, below the apex 0.53 cm wide. Leaves erect, lanceolate, 11-13 by 2.5-2.9 cm, coriaceous, apex shortly bidentate. Inflorescences 1-flowered, spathe narrowly lanceolate, 3-3.5 cm long, acute; peduncle 2 cm long. Pedicel 10 cm long; ovary 0.8-0.98 cm long. Flower c. 8 cm across. Dorsal sepal narrowly linear, widened at the base, 5 cm by 4.3 mm. Lateral sepals 5.8 cm by 5.7 mm; mentum c. 0.45 cm long, obtuse, retuse, open in front. Petals linear-filiform, 4 cm by 1.8 mm. Lip 3-lobed, 1.4 cm long, with two keels; lateral lobes erect, rounded, recurved; midlobe clawed, the claw 0.34 by 0.35 cm, the blade semiorbicular, 0.58 by 0.7 cm. Column 0.33 cm long, stelidia dentate, filament subulate; column-foot 0.45 cm long.
(after Smith, 1913).

Colours:

Sepals and petals pale yellow with light brown tips, lip deep yellow-yellow with dark red-brown dots and spots, especially on the lateral lobes.

Habitat:

Epiphyte in rainforest. Altitude 50 to 400 m.

Distribution:

New Guinea (endemic).

Distribution New Guinea:

Papua (Jayapura Regency); Papua New Guinea (Central and Oro Provinces).

Cultivation:

Warm growing epiphyte.

Flowering time in the wild:

October to May.

Classification:

Family Orchidaceae
Subfamily Epidendroideae
Tribe Dendrobieae
Subtribe Dendrobiinae
Genus Dendrobium
Section Diplocaulobium
Subsection Mekynosepalum
Species Dendrobium longicolle

Literature:

O'Byrne, P. 1994. Lowland Orchids of Papua New Guinea: 200, fig., pl.

Notes:

Dendrobium longicolle Lindl. is one of relatively few species in subsection Mekynosepalum with strongly laterally flattened pseudobulbs. Closely related species include Dendrobium iboense Schltr., Dendrobium pentanema Schltr., Dendrobium xanthocaulon Schltr. and Dendrobium pleurothalloides Kraenzl. Some of these might prove to be synonymous.