Orchids of New Guinea

Prev Taxon: Genus Dendrobium section Distichophyllae

Current Genus: Genus Dendrobium section Fugacia

Next Taxon: Genus Dendrobium Section Grastidium

Dendrobium sagin

Dendrobium sagin Saputra, Mustaqim, Metusala & Schuit., Phytotaxa 459 (2) (2020) 193, fig. 1-3

Type: Reza Saputra 248 (holo BO; iso MAN)

Epiphytic herb. Roots several from a rhizome internode, to 25 by 0.02 cm wide, stiff, unbranched. Rhizome short creeping, often unbranched. Pseudobulbs close, clavate, horizontal or decurved, 5.5–37.0 cm long; narrow base part cylindric, with 7–9 internodes, 0.01–0.015 cm wide; swollen upper part quadrangular in cross-section, with 9–15 internodes, 0.5–0.7 cm diam. Leaves (1–) 2 (–3) from the apical nodes, sessile, without leaf sheath, horizontal to decurved, lanceolate, 9.5–10.5 by 1.2–1.4 cm, glabrous; base cuneate to attenuate with a petiole c. 0.2 cm long; margin entire; apex acute to acuminate. Inflorescence from a node of the upper part of the pseudobulb, 1(–2)-flowered, nodding; peduncle cylindrical, 0.1–0.2 by 0.1 cm; peduncle scales c. 3, overlapping, ovate-triangular, 0.6–0.7 by 0.1–0.15 cm (0.4 cm wide when flattened), with entire margins and acute apex, glabrous; floral bract ovate-triangular, 0.4–0.5 by 0.25–0.3 cm. Pedicel and ovary , clavate, terete, c. 2.9 by 0.25–0.3 cm, glabrous. Flowers in natural position to 3 cm across (with petals and sepals recurved), when expanded to 4 cm wide, ephemeral. Median sepal erect, somewhat recurved or porrect with recurved apex, ovate- oblong to oblong-triangular, 1.9–2.4 by 0.9–1.0 cm; margin entire; apex acute, glabrous. Lateral sepals recurved in the apical part, obliquely ovate to triangular, 2.1–2.4 by 1.2–1.3 cm; margin entire; apex acute to acuminate; mentum 0.4 cm long. Petals slightly narrower than the median sepal, oblong-lanceolate, 2.0–2.2 by 0.5–0.6 cm; margin entire; apex acuminate; glabrous. Lip clasping the column, porrect, thin textured, 3-lobed, when expanded broadly obreniform, 1.5–1.6 by 2.5–2.8 cm; base with tongue-shaped callus; lateral lobes incurved, overlapping over the column; margin entire; apex obtuse to rounded; apex of midlobe triangular-apiculate; from the middle to the apex of the disk with c. 20–28 erect, hair-like projections 0.1–0.4 by 0.1 cm. Column c. 0.4 cm long, blunt; column foot c. 0.25 cm long; stelidia porrect, horn-like, 0.2 cm long; anther rectangular, cucullate, in front truncate, apically pubescent; pollinia 4, arranged in two pairs, ellipsoid, without appendages. Fruit not seen.
(After Saputra et al. 2020)

Colours:

Roots white to green. Pseudobulb narrow base part light brown; swollen upper part dark brown, shiny. Leaves above dark green and shiny, below bright green. Peduncle scales whitish green. Sepals and petals white, at base light yellow. Lip yellowish orange, apex white, with a weak fragrance in early anthesis. Anther white. Pollinia straw-yellow.

Habitat:

Epiphyte in semi-open but shaded lowland forest. Altitude 50 m.

Distribution:

Malesia (New Guinea, endemic)

Distribution New Guinea:

Indonesia, Papua Barat Prov.

Cultivation:

Warm growing epiphyte. Requires shaded position and frequent watering throughout the year.

Flowering time in the wild:

April to July, October to November. Flowering

Classification:

Family Orchidaceae
Subfamily Epidendroideae
Tribe Dendrobieae
Subtribe Dendrobiinae
Genus Dendrobium
Section Fugacia
Species Dendrobium sagin

Notes:

Dendrobium sagin is similar to D. lacteum, but differs in the petals oblong to oblanceolate, c. 3.5–4 x longer than wide (vs. narrowly elliptic to linear-elliptic, c. 5–6 x longer than wide), the sepals ovate to triangular, less than 2x longer than wide (vs. narrowly ovate, at least 3x longer than wide), and by the 20–28 erect hair-like projections median on the lip(vs. 2–4 fang-shaped teeth).