Orchids of New Guinea

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Dendrobium lineale

Dendrobium lineale Rolfe, Gard. Chron. (1889, II) 381.

Type: Veitch cult. s.n. (E. New Guinea) (holo K).

Synonyms:

Dendrobium augustaevictoriae Kraenzl., Gartenflora 43 (1894) 115.
- Type: Micholitz (Kärnbach) s.n. (New Guinea, Berlin Harbour) (holo HBG).
Dendrobium cogniauxianum Kraenzl., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 13 (1891) 280.
- Type: Warburg s.n. (Finschhafen) p.p. (holo HBG).
Dendrobium grantii C.T.White, Austral. Orchid Rev. 5 (1940) 74.
- Type: Grant s.n. (holo BRI; iso K).
Dendrobium imperatrix Kraenzl., Reichenbachia 12 (1895) 11, t. 95.
- Type: Sander cult. s.n. (holo HBG); Hollrung & Micholitz s.n. (Finschhafen) (syn B, lost).
Dendrobium veratrifolium Lindl., London J. Bot. 2 (1843) 236 (non Roxb.).
- Type: [ Hinds s.n. (New Guinea) (holo K; iso BO).
Callista veratrifolia (Lindl.) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. (1891) 655.
Durabaculum veratrifolium (Lindl.) M.A.Clem. & D.L.Jones, Orchadian 13 (2002) 489 (nom.illeg.)
Dendrobium veratroides Bakh.f., Blumea 12 (1963) 68 (nom. nov.).

An erect epiphytic or lithophytic herb. Stems clustered on a short rhizome, 0.5-3.2 cm tall, up to 2.5 cm diam., cane-like, leafy in upper two-thirds. Leaves coriaceous, oblong-elliptic to elliptic, obtuse to rounded at unequally bilobed apex, up to 135 by 8.5 cm, articulated to tubular sheaths up to 4.5 cm long. Inflorescences 24-75 cm long, laxly or densely 17-20 or more-flowered; peduncle 10-15 cm long; bracts lanceolate to elliptic, subacute to acuminate, 6-9 mm long, papery. Flowers: pedicel and ovary 4.1-7 cm long. Dorsal sepal recurved, linear or linear-lanceolate, acuminate, 1.8-2 by 0.5-0.6 cm, often twisted; lateral sepals recurved, obliquely lanceolate-falcate, acute, 1.8-2 by 1-1.3 cm; mentum conical, 8-11 mm long, decurved towards apex. Petals erect, spathulate, rounded or truncate at apex, 2.2-3 by 0.4-0.6 cm, half- or not twisted. Lip 3-lobed, 2-2.4 by 15-1.6 cm; side-lobes obliquely elliptic, obtuse or rounded in front, margins erose; midlobe oblong, apiculate, with erose and undulate margins; callus of three keels all elevated on centre of midlobe. Column 6 mm long.
(after Cribb, 1986).

Colours:

Flowers white or pale yellow with white, bluish or pink petals and a purple- or violet-veined lip.

Habitat:

Epiphyte in rainforest, also lithophytic. Altitude 0-800 m.

Distribution:

New Guinea and adjacent islands.

Distribution New Guinea:

Papua (Jayapura Regency); Papua New Guinea (widespread in the lowlands north of the central mountain range).

Map: Dendrobium lineale Rolfe, distribution map, redrawn from P. Cribb, Kew Bull. 41 (1986) 658, map 6, with new records added.

Cultivation:

Warm growing epiphyte, prefers light position.

Classification:

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

Literature:

Cribb, P.J. 1986. Kew Bull. 41: 655, fig. 6L, M, pl. 10F, map 6.
O'Byrne, P. 1994. Lowland Orchids of Papua New Guinea: 250, fig., pl.
Schlechter, R. 1912. Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1: 547.
Schlechter, R. 1923. Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 21: t. 184, fig. 691.
van Bodegom, J. 1973. Enige orchideeën van West Nieuw Guinea: 127.

Notes:

Dendrobium lineale Rolfe is closely allied to, and often confused with Dendrobium gouldii Rchb.f., a species from the Bismarck Archipelago and the Solomon Islands. It differs, however, in its shorter, less twisted spathulate petals with obtuse, rounded or truncate tips and a lip in which the midlobe is oblong with an undulate margin and rather oblong raised lamellae on its upper surface. Its flowers are usually white with white, bluish, lilac or pink petals and a purple- or violet-veined lip. However, pale yellow-flowered forms have been recorded although this may be the result of introgression from the closely allied and sympatric Dendrobium sylvanum Rchb.f.