Species Information - Dendrobium asperatum

Dendrobium asperatum Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1912) 586; 21 (1928) t. 195, fig. 734.

Type: Schlechter 19464 (holo B, lost).

Synonyms:

• Grastidium asperatum (Schltr.) Brieger, in Schltr., Orchideen, ed. 3, I/A (1981) 653.

Rhizome very short, roots elongated, filiform, flexuose, glabrous. Stems crowded, erect, subterete, up to 100 cm by 5-6 mm, many-leaved, unbranched. Leaf sheaths rugose. Leaves erect-patent, lanceolate-ligulate, 13-17 by 2-3 cm, apex unequally obtusely bilobulate. Inflorescences arising laterally from the stem, very short, 2-flowered; spathe semiorbicular, densely verrucose-asperate along the margin. Floral bracts small, hyaline. Pedicel and ovary 1.3 cm long, glabrous. Flowers c. 5.5 cm across. Dorsal sepal lanceolate, 2.8 cm long, apex subacuminate. Lateral sepals obliquely lanceolate, falcate, widened at the base, 2.2 cm long, apex subacuminate; mentum conical, 0.8 cm long, obtuse. Petals obliquely linear, 2.3 cm long, apex acute. Lip 3-lobed above the middle, 1.7 by 1.2 cm, cuneate at the base, in basal half inside sparsely muriculate-asperate, with an acute basal keel which is muricate at the base and extends to the base of the midlobe, in the centre of the midlobe with many subulate papillae; lateral lobes small, falcate-ovate, obtuse; midlobe suborbicular, apiculate. Column short, rather thick, clinandrium 3-lobulate, the lateral lobules serrulate, the median small, tooth-like; column-foot 0.8 cm long, at the apex with a flattened disc-like callus.
(after Schlechter, 1912).

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