Orchids of New Guinea

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Geodorum densiflorum

Geodorum densiflorum (Lam.) Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 4 (1919) 259

Type: Collector? (India, Malabar coast) (not found, lecto: Rheede, Hort. Malab. 11 (1692) t. 35)

Synonyms:

Limodorum densiflorum Lam., Encycl. 3 (1792) 516
- Type: Collector? (India, Malabar coast) (not found, lecto: Rheede, Hort. Malab. 11 (1692) t. 35)
Cymbidium pictum R.Br., Prodr. (1810) 331
- Type: Brown 5507 (holo BM)
Geodorum pictum (R.Br.) Lindl., Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl. (1833) 175
Dendrobium haenkeanum Steud., Nomencl. Bot., ed. 2, 1 (1841) 490
- Type: ?
Dendrobium nutans Presl, Symb. Bot. 1 (1832) 34, t. 23 (non Lindl.)
- Type: ?
Geodorum nutans (Presl) Ames, Orchidaceae 2 (1908) 164
Geodorum candidum Wall., Numer. List (1832) n. 7374 (nom. nud.)
Geodorum pallidum D.Don, Prodr. Fl. Nepal. (1825) 31
- Type: Wallich s.n. (Nepal)
Geodorum pallidum Llanos, Mem. Real Acad. Ci. Exact Madrid 4 (1859) 507 (non D. Don)
Geodorum purpureum R.Br. in Aiton, Hort. Kew., ed. 2, 5 (1813) 207
Limodorum candidum Roxb., Fl. Ind., ed. 2, 3 (1832) 470
- Type: ?
Arethusa glutinosa Blanco, Fl. Filip. (1837) 641
- Type: not designated
Geodorum javanicum Lindl., Folia Orchid. Geod. (1855) 2 (nom. illeg.)
- Type: Lobb s.n. (Java) (holo K - LINDL)
Geodorum semicristatum Lindl., Folia Orchid. Geodorum (1855) 2
- Type: Cuming s.n. (Philippines)
Geodorum neocaledonicum Kraenzl., Vierteljahrsschr. Naturf. Ges. Z74 (1929) 82
- Type: Daeniker 1384 (holo Z)
Limodorum nutans Roxb., Pl. Coromandel 1 (1795) 33. t. 40
- Type: ?
Malaxis nutans (Roxb.) Willd., Sp. Pl. 4 (1805) 93
Limodorum recurvum Roxb., Pl. Coromandel 1 (1795) 39, t. 33
- Type: ?
Malaxis cernua Willd., Sp. Pl. 4 (1805) 93
- Type: Bela-Pola, Rheede, Hort. Malabar. 11, p. 69, t.357
Cistella cernua (Willd.) Blume, Bijdr. (1825) 293; Tab. & Pl. Jav. Orchid. (1825) t. 55
Ortmannia cernua (Willd.) Opiz, Flora 17 (1834) 592

A terrestrial herb. Stems up to 8 cm long, later swelling at the base to form a fleshy, ovoid pseudobulb. Leaves 2-3, from apical part of the stem, ovate-lanceolate, plicate, with the uppermost the largest, up to 30 by 7 cm, with 5 or 7 principal veins; petiole up to 8 cm long. Inflorescence separate from the leaf-bearing pseudostem, with the peduncle up to 30 cm tall, rather fleshy. Rachis nodding when the flowers reach maturity, 3-5 cm long, bearing a succession of many flowers, after fertilization the peduncle straightens and both the peduncle and rachis extend to as much as twice their former length. Median sepal ovate, 1.4 by 0.3-0.4 cm. Lateral sepals ovate, 1.4 by 0.3-0.4 cm. Petals ovate, 1.4 by 0.3 cm. Lip oblong to obscurely 3-lobed, 1.4-1.5 by 0.7-0.8 cm, the lateral lobes erect, obliquely triangular, the mid-lobe broadly triangular, the disc with an obscure low broad keel. Column 0.5 cm long, column-foot 0.3 cm long.
(After Lewis and Cribb, 1991).

Colours:

Flowers pink with purple markings on the lip.

Habitat:

Terrestrial in lowland grassland. Altitude 0-250 m.

Distribution:

Malesia (Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Sulawesi, Lesser Sunda Islands, Moluccas, New Guinea, The Philippines), Cambodia, Vietnam, SE Asia, Australia, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Niue.

Distribution New Guinea:

Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea. See map

Cultivation:

Warm growing terrestrial, keep in light position.

Flowering time in the wild:

January, April, May, June, October, December.

Classification:

Family Orchidaceae
Subfamily Epidendroideae
Tribe Cymbidieae
Subtribe Eulophiinae
Genus Geodorum
Species Geodorum densiflorum

Literature:

Smith, J.J., Orchid. Java (1905) 222, as Geodorum purpureum R.Br.
Smith, J.J., Orchid. Java, Fig.-Atl. (1909) fig. 163, as Geodorum purpureum R.Br.
Schlechter, R., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1912) 420, as Geodorum pictum (R.Br.) Lindl.
Schlechter, R., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 21 (1923) t. 145, fig. 548, as Geodorum pictum (R.Br.) Lindl.
Dockrill, A. W., Austral. Indig. Orchids 1 (1969) 608, fig., as Geodorum pictum (R.Br.) Lindl.
Lewis, B.A. & P.J. Cribb, Orchids of the Solomon Islands and Bougainville (1991) 301
O'Byrne, P., Lowland Orchid. Papua New Guinea (1994) 560, fig.