Orchids of New Guinea

Prev Taxon: Genus Dendrobium section Rhizobium

Current Genus: Genus Dendrobium section Spatulata

Next Taxon: Genus Dendrochilum

Prev Species: Dendrobium burkeanum

Jump:

Next Species: Dendrobium carronii

Dendrobium canaliculatum

Dendrobium canaliculatum R.Br., Prodr. (1810) 333.

Type: Illust. Banks s.n. (Tropical Australia) (acc. to Cribb, 19860

Synonyms:

Callista canaliculata (R.Br.) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. (1891) 654.
Cepobaculum canaliculatum (R.Br.) M.A.Clem. & D.L.Jones, Orchadian 13 (2002) 486
Dendrobium canaliculatum var. nigrescens Nicholls, Austral. Orchid. Rev. 7 (1942) 40.
- Type: Australia, cult. Weinthal (holo MEL).
Dendrobium canaliculatum var. pallidum Dockrill, N. Queensland Naturalist 24 (115) (1956) 21.
- Type: Australia, Queensland, Starcke River, Le Roy (holo NSW).
Dendrobium foelschei F.Muell.S. Sci. Rec. 2 (1882) 230.
- Type: Foelsche s.n. (Port Darwin)
Callista foelschei (F.Muell.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 2 (1891) 654
Cepobaculum foelschei (F.Muell.) M.A.Clem. & D.L.Jones, Orchadian 13 (2002) 486
Dendrobium tattonianum Bateman, Bot. Mag. 91 (1865) t. 5537; Gard. Chron. 1865 (1865) 890.
- Type: N Australia cult. Lord Egerton of Tatton, J. G. Veitch (holo not found).
Cepobaculum tattonianum (Bateman) M.A.Clem. & D.L.Jones, Orchadian 13 (2002) 486

A small epiphytic herb. Stems usually pseudobulbous, fusiform to ovoid, few-noded, 3-12 cm long, 1.5-3 cm diam., clothed at first in sheathing bracts. Leaves 2-6, subterminal, semi-cylindrical, grooved on upper surface, linear, acute, 5-20 by 1.2-1.6 cm, articulated on base to a very short sheath. Inflorescences 1-4, 10-40 cm long, densely many-flowered; bracts lanceolate, acuminate, 3-4 mm long. Flowers small, 1.8-2.5 cm across, fragrant; pedicel and ovary 1.2-2.5 cm long. Dorsal sepal oblong, acute to obtuse, 0.9-1.5 by 0.3-0.4 cm, once-twisted; lateral sepals spreading, obliquely oblong, acute, 0.7-1.5 by 0.3-0.4 cm, twisted; mentum 0.5 cm long. Petals suberect, linear to spathulate, obtuse to acute, 1.2-1.8 by 0.2-0.3 cm, not twisted to twice-twisted. Lip 3-lobed, 0.9-1.5 by 0.8-0.9 cm; side-lobes obovate, rounded or truncate at apex; midlobe sometimes recurved, ovate, acute or apiculate; callus of 3 to 5 ridges dissected towards apex, middle three raised at apex. Column 3-4 mm long.
(after Cribb, 1986).

(after Cribb, 1986).

Colours:

Sepals and petals white with yellow to brown apical halves, sometimes yellow or brown; lip white marked on lobes with purple.

Habitat:

Epiphyte in savannah, often fully exposed on Melaleuca trees; sea-level to 500 m.

Distribution:

North eastern tropical Australia and South New Guinea.

Cultivation:

Warm growing epiphyte, prefers light position.

Classification:

Family Orchidaceae
Subfamily Epidendroideae
Tribe Dendrobieae
Subtribe Dendrobiinae
Genus Dendrobium
Section Spatulata
Species Dendrobium canaliculatum

Literature:

Cribb, P.J. 1986. Kew Bull. 41: 639, fig. 4A, E, F, J, pl. 8A, B, map 2.
Smith, J.J. 1909. Nova Guinea 8, 1: 67, t. 23, fig. 74 (as Dendrobium gouldii auct. non Rchb.f.: J.J.Sm.).

Notes:

Dendrobium canaliculatum R.Br. is a distinctive orchid, readily recognised by its ovoid or shortly fusiform pseudobulbs, semiterete leaves grooved on the upper surface and dense racemes of small flowers 1.8-2.5 cm across, with a straight mentum at a right angle to the ovary and a lip in which the callus ridges are raised on the midlobe. The only closely similar species is Dendrobium carronii Lavarack & P.J.Cribb, which has quite different flowers with purple-maroon petals that are narrower, a mentum that points backwards and often curves upwards towards the apex and a bright yellow lip with a low callus of three ridges, beaded and scarcely raised at the apex, on the oblong midlobe. Its inflorescence is characteristically produced at a right angle to the pseudobulb.