Prev Taxon: Genus Dendrobium section Fugacia
Current Genus: Genus Dendrobium Section Grastidium
Next Taxon: Genus Dendrobium section Herpetophytum
Dendrobium kanchianum
Dendrobium kanchianum Ormerod, Checkl. Papuasian Orch. (2017) 216, 482 (fig.).
Type: Brass 24990 (holo AMES).
Synonyms:
Epiphytes. Roots terete, to 0.22 cm thick. Rhizome not seen. Stem slender, laxly leafy, elliptic in section, 80 by 0.2 cm, 0.25-0.30 cm wide across the leaf sheaths. Leaves ligulate-lanceolate; apex with 2 minute obtuse lobes differing 0.4-0.5 cm in length, thin, 9.2-10.7 by 1-1.2 cm; leaf sheaths tubular, smooth, striate, 1-1.7 cm long, their apex truncate. lnflorescence 2-flowered, emerging midway along leaf sheath; basal inflorescence scales: 1st transversely oblong, 0.18 by 0.35 by 0.2-0.3 cm, 2nd broadly elliptic, 0.4 by 0.35 cm, with obtuse apex. Pedicel and ovary terete, club-shaped, 1.6-1.7 cm long. Median sepal broadly oblong-lanceolate; apex acute; 5-nerved, 1.62 by 0.53 cm. Lateral sepals obliquely ovate-lanceolate, acute, 6-nerved, 1.5 by 0.73 cm; mentum obtuse, 0.4 cm long. Petals obovate-oblanceolate, 1.45 by 0.52 cm; apex subacute; 3-nerved with two long basal branches. Lip 3-lobed, 0.99 cm long; hypochile 0.45 by 0.47 cm, , keel 1, low, plate-like, with irregular crest, raised apically, inside on the base of the lateral lobes with a line of scattered short projections, the lateral lobes obliquely subquadrate, 0.1 by 0.15 cm, at the apex irregularly suberose; epichile obovate-elliptic, 0.54 by 0.34 cm, median below the apex with a transversely rugulose band, apex subacute. Column obliquely semiterete, 0.42 cm long (without anther): column foot incurved, c. 0.38 cm long.
(after Ormerod, 2017)).
Flowers white, lip lateral lobes with purple margin (in rehydrated flowers the free part of the lateral lobes appear to be wholly purple).
Epiphytes low on tree trunsk in lower montane rainforest. Altitude 800 m.
Distribution: Malesia, Papua New Guinea, endemic.
Papua New Guinea (Milne Bay Prov., Goodenough lsland).
Warm growing epiphyte.
October.
- Family Orchidaceae
- Subfamily Epidendroideae
- Tribe Dendrobieae
- Subtribe Dendrobiinae
- Genus Dendrobium
- Section Grastidium
- Species Dendrobium kanchianum
Dendrobium kanchianum Ormerod is similar to D. extraaxillare Schltr. and related species in the flowers, but differs in the thin, lanceolate leaves (versus ligulate, coriaceous).
Dendrobium kanchianum Ormerod is superficially similar to D. kietaense Schltr. from the Solomons and Bougainville in habit but differs in having purple lateral lobes of the lip (versus white to cream-coloured), obovate-oblanceolate petals (versus narrowly elliptic), and a much shorter keel on the lip.
Dendrobium kanchianum is named after Dr. Kanchi Gandhi who works on IPNI {International Plant Names Index)
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Dendrobium kanchianum
Dendrobium kanchianum Ormerod, drawing by Paul Ormerod in Checkl. Papuasian Orch. (2017) 216, 482 (fig.).