Orchids of New Guinea

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Dendrobium pachystele

Dendrobium pachystele Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1912) 485; 21 (1923) t. 163, fig. 611.

Type: Schlechter 19182 (holo B, lost; iso AMES, G, L, S).

Synonyms:

Dendrobium pachystele Schltr. var. homoeoglossum Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1912) 486; 21 (1923) t. 163, fig. 612.
- Type: Schlechter 17255 (holo B, lost; iso L, S).
Sayeria pachystele (Schltr.) Rauschert, Feddes Repert. 94 (1983) 467.

An epiphytic herb. Pseudobulbs slender, slightly dilated above; obscurely longitudinally sulcate, 10-25 by 0.7 cm, 1-leafed at apex. Leaf coriaceous, lanceolate or narrowly elliptic-lanceolate, acute or acuminate, 18-30 by 3.7-4.3 cm. Inflorescence lateral, short, laxly 3-6-flowered, c. 5 cm long; bracts broadly ovate, apiculate. Flowers fleshy. Dorsal sepal ovate, obtuse, 1.2 cm long; lateral sepals obliquely triangular, obtuse, 1.2 by 1 cm; mentum, incurved-conical, 9 mm long. Petals oblong-elliptic, acuminate, 1 cm long. Lip recurved, obscurely 3-lobed or entire, elliptic-obovate in outline, 1 by 1.2 cm; callus half length of lip, 3-ridged. Column very short, fleshy; foot 9 mm long.
(after Cribb, 1983).

Colours:

Flowers whitish or creamy white.

Habitat:

Epiphyte in lower montane forest. Altitude 25 to 800 m.

Distribution:

New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and possibly the Palau Islands.

Distribution New Guinea:

Papua New Guinea (mountain ranges north of the central mountains).

Map: Dendrobium pachystele Schltr., distribution map, redrawn from P. Cribb, Kew Bull. 38 (1983) 289, map 7.

Cultivation:

Warm growing epiphyte.

Flowering time in the wild:

January, September.

Classification:

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

Literature:

Cribb, P.J. 1983. Kew Bull. 38: 288, map 7.
Lewis, B. & P.J. Cribb. 1991. Orchids of the Solomon Islands and Bougainville: 178.

Notes:

Dendrobium pachystele Schltr. is closely allied to Dendrobium informe J.J.Sm. and the Moluccan species Dendrobium ruttenii J.J.Sm. and Dendrobium laurensii J.J.Sm., all having lateral as well as subterminal inflorescences and one-leafed pseudobulbs. Dendrobium pachystele differs in having a shorter mentum, an obtuse lip broadest in the middle and obtuse rather than apiculate or acuminate sepals.
(after Cribb, 1983).

Dendrobium pachystele

Dendrobium pachystele Schltr., drawing R. Schlechter in Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 21 (1923) t. 163, fig. 611

Dendrobium pachystele

Dendrobium pachystele Schltr. (as Dendrobium pachystele Schltr. var. homoeoglossum Schltr.), drawing R. Schlechter in Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 21 (1923) t. 163, fig. 612