Orchids of New Guinea

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Jump:

Dendrobium fruticicola

Dendrobium fruticicola J.J.Sm., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 12 (1913) 116; Nova Guinea 12, 3 (1916) 344, t. 125, fig. 229.

Type: Gjellerup 1111 (holo BO, iso L 2x).

Synonyms:

Pedilonum fruticicola (J.J.Sm.) Rauschert, Feddes Repert. 94 (1983) 459.
Chromatotriccum fruticicola (J.J.Sm.) M.A.Clem. & D.L.Jones, Orchadian 13 (2002) 494

Stems branching, terete, in upper part flexuose and angular, 80 cm by 3 mm when dried, internodes to 3.8 cm long. Leaf sheaths densely verruculose. Leaves erect-patent, lanceolate, 2.7-4.5 by 0.63-0.83 cm, coriaceous, margins near apex minutely ciliolate-denticulate, apex obtuse, minutely apiculate. Inflorescences lateral, racemose, short, 3-6-flowered. Floral bracts ovate-triangular, 1.1 cm long, apex acuminate, outside verruculose. Pedicel and ovary 2.6 cm long, clavate. Flowers 3.2 cm long. Dorsal sepal 1.13 cm by 5 mm; mentum long-conical, 2.1 cm long, obtuse. Petals 1 cm by 3 mm. Lip clawed, spathulate, when flattened 2.5 by 1 cm, claw for 1.25 cm adnate to the column-foot; apex cucullate, plicate, apical margin densely lacinulate. Column 0.37 cm long; column-foot 2 cm long.
(after Smith, 1916).

Colours:

Flower orange, fringes of the lip white, column grey-violet at apex (anther?).

Habitat:

Epiphyte on low mossy shrubs growing on granite gravel covered with peaty soil. Altitude 1900 m.

Distribution:

New Guinea (endemic).

Distribution New Guinea:

Papua (Manokwari Regency)

Cultivation:

Cool growing epiphyte.

Flowering time in the wild:

April.

Notes:

Dendrobium fruticicola, a large-flowered member of the Dendrobium subclausum alliance, is similar to D. spiculatum Schuit. in morphology of the flower and its parts, but differs in the larger flowers (to 3.2 versus 2 cm long) with smooth sepals and ovary (versus spiculate), longer leaves (2.7-4.5 versus 1.4-2.6 cm long), and densely verruculose leaf sheaths (versus glabrous except the nerves sparsely papillose). Both species occur in the Arfak Mountains.