Dendrobium section Platycaulon Schltr.
in K.Schum. & Lauterb., Nachtr. Fl. Deutsch. Schutzgeb. Südsee (1905) 150 ('Platybulbon').
Rhizomes short. Stems elongated, fleshy, with several internodes, strongly bilaterally flattened, few- to several-leaved, not branching. Leaves glabrous, short-lived and rather thin-textured. Inflorescences lateral from the upper part of the stem, rather short, few-flowered. Flowers medium-sized, resupinate, long-lived, often creamy white. Mentum large, spur-like, not parallel with the ovary but often at almost right angles to it. Lip not mobile, almost always entire, often with undulate margins.
Distribution
Burma, Thailand, Laos, Malaysia, The Philippines, Indonesia, New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Fiji. About 5 species; in New Guinea probably only one species: ~Dendrobium platygastrium^ Rchb.f.).
Habitat
Epiphytes in lowland and montane forest.
Notes
Except for the flattened pseudobulbs this section is not distinct from sect. Calcarifera; the flowers show no fundamental differences. In case the sections are merged the proper name would become Platycaulon, this being the oldest name. The unusual flattened stems give these plants a certain novelty value, but otherwise they have little horticultural significance.