Species Information - Dendrobium bidentiferum

Dendrobium bidentiferum J.J.Sm., Bull. Dép. Agric. Indes Néerl. 19 (1908) 13; Nova Guinea 8, 1 (1909) 54, t. 20, fig. 62.

Type: Versteeg 1539 (holo BO).

Synonyms:

• Diplocaulobium bidentiferum (J.J.Sm.) Kraenzl., in Engl.

Rhizome c. 6.5 cm long, patent to erect, rooting at the base, branching, shrubby, covered with large, oblong, 2-2.5 cm long, brown, membranous sheaths. Pseudobulbs rather distant, 1-leaved, resembling a petiole, hardly swollen at the base, 2.5-3.5 cm long. Leaves lanceolate, 4-4.5 by 0.75 cm, base conduplicate, apex bidentate. Inflorescences apical, arising in succession, 1-flowered; spathe laterally compressed, 1-1.25 cm long. Pedicel 2.5 cm long; ovary 0.4 cm long, 6-grooved. Flower resupinated, c. 2.3 cm across. Dorsal sepal ovate-triangular in basal part, narrowly linear in apical part, 1.45 cm by 3.4 mm, concave, 5-nerved. Lateral sepals falcate, obliquely broadly triangular in basal part, narrowly linear in apical part, 1.6 cm by 8.7 mm, concave, 5-nerved; mentum conical, 0.73 cm long, curved, obtuse. Petals weakly falcate, linear, gradually narrowed to the apex, 1.25 cm by 1.3 mm, 3-nerved. Lip 3-lobed in apical third, 1 by 0.5 cm, with a 2 mm long claw at the base, with 2 parallel basal keels extending to near the apex, the keels raised in the centre, halfway the midlobe provided with a conspicuous, erect, falcate, incurved, acute tooth, the keels confluent below the apex and forming a convex cushion; lateral lobes erect, short, very broad, only weakly set off from the midlobe; midlobe quadrangular, 0.33 by 0.38 cm, undulate, apex retuse with a small obtuse lobule in the sinus. Column 0.23 cm long, clinandrium denticulate, stigma small, rounded; column-foot at an acute angle to the ovary, lightly incurved, 0.73 cm long. Anther mitre-shaped, in front obtuse, minutely 4-lobulate, pubescent. Pollinia subsemiorbicular, the inner ones thinner.
(after Smith, 1909).

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