Dendrobium discerptum J.J.Sm., Bull. Dép. Agric. Indes Néerl. 39 (1910) 9; Nova Guinea 8, 3 (1911) 555, t. 89B.
Type: Römer, von 570 (holo BO).
Stems slender, in cross-section elliptic, 2 mm wide, internodes c. 2 cm long. Leaf sheaths 0.23 cm wide, tubular, longer than the internodes, glabrous, with a 0.3 cm long triangular tooth opposite the leaf-blade. Leaves linear, gradually tapering to the apex, 10-11 by 0.6 cm, midvein slightly prominent below, base cuneate, apex sharply acute. Inflorescences arising laterally from the stem, short, 2-flowered; spathe laterally compressed, 0.37 cm long, broad, rounded. Pedicel and ovary 0.55 cm long, 6-grooved. Flowers c. 1.5 cm across. Dorsal sepal incurved, subtriangular-oblong, 1 cm by 4 mm, concave, outside near the apex verrucose, 5-nerved, apex obtuse. Lateral sepals falcate-triangular, 1 cm by 8.3 mm, concave, 5-nerved, at apex thickened and verrucose outside, apex obtuse; mentum 0.63 cm long, subretuse. Petals narrowly obliquely lanceolate, 0.93 cm by 2 mm, at apex thickened and with incurved margins, 3-nerved, apex obtuse. Lip 3-lobed in apical third, curved, clawed, 5-nerved, 1 by 0.55 cm, inside sparsely coved with clavate hairs, with low, longitudinal, papillose thickenings, on the midlobe densely prickly-hairy, the hairs sometimes branching or somewhat clavate; lateral lobes erect, 0.17 cm long, narrowly oblong, margins papillose-ciliolate; midlobe recurved, rounded-quadrangular, 0.4 cm long, margins lacerate. Column straight, 0.35 cm long, clinandrium with broadly obtuse denticulate lateral lobules as long as the median lobule; stigma orbicular; column-foot at an obtuse to right angle to the ovary, 0.53 cm long, curved, concave, truncate. Anther cucullate, dorsally retuse, 1.4 mm wide. Pollinia oblong, the interior ones narrower.
(after Smith, 1911).
Colours: Flower white with brown stripes.
Habitat: Epiphyte in lowland forest.
Flowering time in the wild: October.
Distribution: New Guinea (endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Merauke Regency: Lorentz River).
Map: DISCEMAP.JPG [Dendrobium discerptum J.J.Sm., distribution map.]
Cultivation: Warm growing epiphyte.