Species Information - Dendrobium falcipetalum

Dendrobium falcipetalum Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1912) 599; 21 (1928) t. 201, fig. 757.

Type: Schlechter 18529 (holo B, lost).

Synonyms:

• Grastidium falcipetalum (Schltr.) Rauschert, Feddes Repert. 94 (1983) 449.

Rhizome very short, roots elongated, filiform, flexuose, glabrous. Stems crowded, erect, unbranched, slightly laterally compressed, 40 cm by 3-4 mm, many-leaved. Leaf sheaths almost entirely covering the stem. Leaves erect-patent, oblong-ligulate, 6-11 by 1.4-2.3 cm, apex obtusely and unequally bilobulate. Inflorescences arising laterally from the stem, peduncle very short, 2-flowered; spathe semiorbicular, laterally compressed, obtuse. Pedicel and ovary 0.8 cm long, glabrous. Flowers c. 3 cm across. Dorsal sepal oblong-ligulate, 1.7 cm long, glabrous, apex obtuse. Lateral sepals strongly falcate, a little widened at the base, 1.7 cm long, apex obtuse; mentum short, obtuse. Petals falcate, similar to the sepals but a little narrower and shorter. Lip 3-lobed above the middle, 0.8 by 0.6 cm, cuneate at the base, inside sparsely transversely rugulose, with an irregular basal keel extending to the base of the midlobe, the midlobe with a dense cushion of subulate papillae; lateral lobes falcate-lanceolate, interior margin irregular, apex obtuse; midlobe a little shorter, broadly ovate, margin undulate-crenulate, apex obtuse. Column short, rather thick, clinandrium 3-lobulate, the lateral lobules rounded-auriculiform, the median a little longer, subulate; column-foot concave. Anther quadrate-cucullate, in front truncate, glabrous.
(after Schlechter, 1912).

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