Orchids of New Guinea

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Dendrobium ingratum

Dendrobium ingratum J.J.Sm., Bull. Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg, sér. 2, 3 (1912) 72; Nova Guinea 12, 1 (1913) 53, t. 15, fig. 42.

Type: Gjellerup 579 (holo BO; iso L).

Synonyms:

Grastidium ingratum (J.J.Sm.) Rauschert, Feddes Repert. 94 (1983) 450.
Dendrobium kenejianum Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1912) 617; 21 (1928) t. 208, fig. 785.
- Type: Schlechter 18467 (holo B, lost).
Grastidium kenejianum (Schltr.) Rauschert, Feddes Repert. 94 (1983) 450.

Rhizome to 1 m long, climbing, rooting; roots elongated, filiform, flexuose, glabrous. Stems erect, unbranched, laterally compressed, 40 cm long, many-leaved. Leaf sheaths entirely covering the stem. Leaves erect, linear, 3.5-5 by 0.6-0.9 cm, apex unequally and obtusely bilobulate, coriaceous. Inflorescences arising laterally from the stem, subsessile, 2-flowered; spathe very small, broadly obtuse. Ovary 0.5 cm long, subsessile, glabrous. Flowers c. 1 cm across. Dorsal sepal elliptic, 0.7 cm long, apex apiculate. Lateral sepals strongly obliquely elliptic, gradually widened to the base, 0.7 cm long, apex apiculate; mentum 0.5 cm long, obtuse. Petals obliquely subfalcate-ligulate, c. 0.7 cm long, apex subacute. Lip 3-lobed near the apex, broadly cuneate in outline, 0.5 by 0.7 cm, with a lanceolate acute thickened median band extending to the apex, on either side with diverging slightly thickened veins, the centre of the lip in apical part with scattered minute warts; lateral lobes obliquely ovate-triangular, subapiculate; midlobe less than half as long, obtusely bilobulate, minutely apiculate. Column short, clinandrium 3-lobulate, the lateral lobules sparsely dentate, the median tooth-like; column-foot incurved, 0.5 cm long. Anther rhombic-cucullate, glabrous.
(after Schlechter, 1912 - as Dendrobium kenejianum).

Colours:

Flower golden to greenish yellow, the median band of the lip yellow-brown.

Habitat:

Epiphyte in lowland forest and beach forest. Altitude 0 to 150 m.

Distribution:

New Guinea (endemic).

Distribution New Guinea:

Papua (Jayapura Regency); Papua New Guinea (Madang, Morobe, and Central Provinces).

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

Cultivation:

Warm growing epiphyte, prefers light position.

Flowering time in the wild:

January-March, July, October, December.

Classification:

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

Literature:

O'Byrne, P. 1994. Lowland Orchids of Papua New Guinea: 324, fig.

Notes:

Dendrobium ingratum J.J.Sm. is a characteristic species which in habit resembles a member of section Biloba, but clearly belongs to section Grastidium. According to J.J. Smith the flowers smell unpleasantly of fermenting horse urine.