Orchids of New Guinea

Prev Taxon: Genus Dendrobium section Herpetophytum

Current Genus: Genus Dendrobium section Latouria

Next Taxon: Genus Dendrobium section Microphytanthe

Prev Species: Dendrobium leucohybos

Jump:

Next Species: Dendrobium mayandyi

Dendrobium macrophyllum

Dendrobium macrophyllum A.Rich., in D'Urv., Voy. Astrol., Bot. (1834) 22.

Type: Lesson s.n. (New Guinea) (holo P).West New Guinea, near Bivak Hollandia, Gjellerup 401 (holo BO).

Synonyms:

Latourea macrophylla (A.Rich.) Brieger, in Schltr., Orchideen, ed. 3, I/A (1981) 727.
Latourorchis macrophylla (A.Rich.) Brieger, in Schltr., Orchideen, ed. 3, I/A (1981) 727.
Sayeria macrophylla (A.Rich.) Rauschert, Feddes Repert. 94 (1983) 467.
Dendrobium macrophyllum A.Rich. var. veitchianum (Lindl.) Hook.f., Bot. Mag. (1867) t. 5649.
Dendrobium brachythecum F.Muell. & Kraenzl., Österr. Bot. Zeitschr. 44 (1894) 161; Kraenzl., Xenia Orchid. 3 (1900) 164, t. 295.
- Type: Anderson s.n. (1893) (holo MEL, iso HBG).
Dendrobium ferox Hassk., Retzia 1 (1855) 1.
- Type: Java, Hasskarl (holo BO).
Dendrobium gordonii S.Moore, J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 20 (1883) 372.
- Type: Horne 942: 2 collections, (Samoa, Upolo), or (Viti Levu, Babuca).
Callista gordonii (S.Moore) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. (1891) 65
Dendrobium musciferum Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1912) 494; 21 (1923) t. 167, fig. 625.
- Type: Schlechter 16920 (B, lost); 18958 (B, lost; AD, AMES, BO, E, G, K, L 2x).
Latourea muscifera (Schltr.) Brieger, in Schltr., Orchideen, ed. 3, I/A (1981) 727 (nom. illeg.).
Latourorchis muscifera (Schltr.) Brieger, in Schltr., Orchideen, ed. 3, I/A (1981) 727.
Sayeria muscifera (Schltr.) Rauschert, Feddes Repert. 94 (1983) 467.
Dendrobium psyche Kraenzl. in Engl., Pflanzenr. IV. 50. II. B. 21 (1910) 246.
- Type: New Hebrides (Vanuatu), Braithwaite (holo B, lost).
Dendrobium sarcostoma Teijsm. & Binn. ex Miq., Fl. Ned. Indië 3 (1859) 633 (nom. nud.).
- Type: not designated.
Dendrobium setigerum Ames ex M.A.Clem., Austral. Orchid Res. 64: 7 (1999-2000 publ. 1999).
?Dendrobium ternatense J.J.Sm., Bull. Dép. Agric. Indes Néerl. 22 (1909) 26.
- Type: Moluccas, Ternate, J.J. Smith s.n. (holo BO).
Dendrobium tomohonense Kraenzl. in Engl., Pflanzenr. IV. 50. II. B. 21 (1910) 244.
- Type: Celebes, Sarasin 655; 799 (syn B, lost).
Dendrobium veitchianum Lindl., Bot. Mag. (1847) t. 25.
- Type: Java, Lobb (holo K!).
Callista veitchiana (Lindl.) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. (1891) 655.

A medium-sized to large epiphytic herb. Pseudobulbs clustered, clavate or subclavate, rarely fusiform, up to 50 cm tall rarely more, 1.4-3 cm diam., drying yellow, 4-6-noded below leaves, (2-)3 (rarely more)-leaved. Leaves suberect, coriaceous, oblong or oblong-elliptic, obtuse, 15-31 by 3.3-9 cm, lowermost leaf often 1-3 cm below nearest leaf. Inflorescences erect, terminal, up to 40 cm long, often densely many-flowered; bracts lanceolate, acute, 1.5-2.5 cm long. Flowers rather variable in size; pedicel and ovary setosely hairy, 2.5-4 cm long. Sepals setose on outer surface; dorsal sepal oblong-ovate or oblong-lanceolate, acute, 2.1-2.6 by 0.7-1 cm; lateral sepals obliquely triangular, acute or acuminate, 2.3-2.6 by 1.2-1.4 gym; mentum obliquely conical, 1 cm long. Petals oblanceolate or oblong-oblanceolate, acute, 1.8-2.2 by 0.8-1.1 cm, with somewhat undulate margin. Lip 3-lobed, strongly recurved, 1-2 by 1.6-2.7 cm; side-lobes erect, subquadrate-flabellate, dilated above, truncate; midlobe transversely oblong, apiculate, conduplicate; callus obscurely 3-ridged, raised 2 mm at apex. Column short, 3 mm long, with two hook-like apical appendages at apex; foot 1 cm long.
(after Cribb, 1983).

INFRASPECIFIC TAXA

Dendrobium macrophyllum A.Rich. var. subvelutinum J.J.Sm., Nova Guinea 8 (1911) 552.

Differs from the typical variety in that the outside of the sepals, ovary and pedicel are very shortly subvelvety muricate rather than setose.
(after Cribb, 1983).

Colours:

Flowers yellow or greenish with purple stripes on lip side-lobes and spots or stripes on midlobe ; callus white.

Habitat:

Epiphyte in coastal to montane forests, also lithophytic. Altitude 0 to 1700 m.

Distribution:

Java, Lesser Sunda Islands, the Philippines, Sulawesi, Moluccas, New Guinea, Palau Islands, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Fiji and Samoa.

Distribution New Guinea:

Papua and Papua New Guinea, widespread.
Papua (Jayapura area); Papua New Guinea (uncommon, fide O'Byrne).

Cultivation:

Warm to intermediate growing epiphyte. Prefers a bright to lightly shaded position and humid conditions throughout the year.

Flowering time in the wild:

Throughout the year.
December.

Classification:

Family Orchidaceae
Subfamily Epidendroideae
Tribe Dendrobieae
Subtribe Dendrobiinae
Genus Dendrobium
Section Latouria
Species Dendrobium macrophyllum

Literature:

Chadim, V.A. 1972. Orchadian 4: 26, fig.
Cribb, P.J. 1983. Kew Bull. 38: 247, fig. 1D, E, pl. 11A, B.
Lewis, B. & P.J. Cribb. 1991. Orchids of the Solomon Islands and Bougainville: 175, fig. 41 l-n, pl. 10C.
O'Byrne, P. 1994. Lowland Orchids of Papua New Guinea: 272, fig.
Smith, J.J. 1905. Orchid. Java: 347.
van Bodegom, J. 1973. Enige orchideeën van West Nieuw Guinea: 78.

Notes:

Dendrobium macrophyllum A.Rich. is the most widespread species in the section. It is also rather variable particularly in flower size and colouration, but is readily distinguished from all allied species with setose ovaries by its usually 3-leaved pseudobulbs, oblong-elliptic leaves, relatively narrow petals, the broad lateral lobes of its lip, its conical mentum and the lack of a ligule on the column foot. In the closely allied Dendrobium polysema the flowers open more widely and the lip lateral lobes always taper to a rounded apex, the petals are also usually reflexed in the open flower, and its pseudobulbs bear 2 broadly elliptic leaves.

Dendrobium macrophyllum A.Rich. var. subvelutinum J.J.Sm. differs from the typical variety only in lacking setae on the outside of the sepals, ovary and pedicel, these being replaced by much shorter somewhat papillate projections which are particularly dense upon the ovary.
(after Cribb, 1983).