Orchids of New Guinea

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Dendrobium crassiflorum

Dendrobium crassiflorum J.J.Sm., Bull. Dép. Agric. Indes Néerl. 45 (1911) 4; Nova Guinea 8, 3 (1911) 560, t. 91C.

Type: Bogor cult. (Branderhorst) 289 b (holo BO).

Synonyms:

Grastidium crassiflorum (J.J.Sm.) Rauschert, Feddes Repert. 94 (1983) 448.

Stems subflexuose, in cross-section elliptic, 50 cm by 5.8 mm, internodes 3-4 cm long. Leaf sheaths as long as the internodes, tubular, in apical part transversely rugulose. Leaves patent, half twisted at the base, lanceolate, 5.8-10 by 2.4-3.1 cm, coriaceous, weakly keeled along the midrib below, apex narrowly obtusely bilobulate. Inflorescences arising laterally from the stem, perforating the leaf-sheaths near their apex, peduncle short, laterally compressed, sheathes of the spathe short, laterally compressed. Ovary 0.65 cm long, thick, obconical, 6-grooved. Flowers c. 2.1 cm across, very fleshy, ephemeral, sepals and petals concave, incurved near the apex, outside verrucose. Dorsal sepal obovate-oblong, subspathulate, 1.4 cm by 8.3 mm, apex broadly obtuse. Lateral sepals obliquely obovate-oblong, a little widened at the base, 1.25 cm by 7.5 mm, apex incurved, short-acute; mentum 0.5 cm long, open in front, bilobed. Petals obliquely spathulate, 1.2 cm by 6.5 mm, apex broadly obtuse. Lip 3-lobed somewhat above the middle, mobile, strongly curved, 0.95 by 0.58 cm, inside transversely rugulose, with a verrucose basal median keel not reaching the base of the midlobe, on either side of the keel with a row of warts; lateral lobes erect, concave, short, inside with small warts more or less arranged in rows, apex obtuse or acute-erose; midlobe recurved, ovate, 0.45 by 0.38 cm, convex, margins crenate, apex obtuse, terminating in a small conical point. Column conical, laterally compressed, 0.4 cm long, clinandrium with broad, concave, rounded-truncate lateral lobules; column-foot at an obtuse angle to the ovary, incurved, oblong, 0.45 cm long, narrowing to the apex, concave, near the apex with a longitudinal concavity. Anther cucullate, in front truncate, 0.16 cm long. Pollinia oblong, laterally compressed, 0.13 cm long.
(after Smith, 1911).

Colours:

Leaves shiny and bright green above, dull below, leaf-sheaths dull green, black-dotted. Sepals and petals pale yellow, on both sides with red dots, lip yellowish, the keel orange, lateral lobes at the base whitish, warts on the lateral lobes dark purple, midlobe outside dark purple, except for a pale median line, inside orange at the base, with dark purple margins and very sparse dark purple dots. Column, anther, and pollinia white, the column-foot sparsely dotted with dark purple, the apical concavity pale orange. Ovary yellowish white.

Habitat:

Epiphytic in lowland forest.

Distribution:

New Guinea (endemic).

Distribution New Guinea:

Papua (Merauke Regency).

Map: Dendrobium crassiflorum J.J.Sm., distribution map.

Cultivation:

Intermediate growing epiphyte.

Flowering time in the wild:

February.

Classification:

Family Orchidaceae
Subfamily Epidendroideae
Tribe Dendrobieae
Subtribe Dendrobiinae
Genus Dendrobium
Section Grastidium
Species Dendrobium crassiflorum