Dendrobium hamadryas Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1912) 591; 21 (1928) t. 197, fig. 742.
Type: Schlechter 17336 (holo B, lost; iso AD, AMES, BM, BO, G, K, L 2x, NSW, S).
Rhizome very short, roots elongated, filiform, flexuose, glabrous. Stems crowded, pendulous, slightly laterally compressed, 80-100 cm by 3-4 mm, many-leaved, unbranched. Leaf sheaths entirely covering the stem. Leaves narrowly lanceolate-ligulate, 9-12 by 1.2-1.7 cm, apex acute. Inflorescences arising laterally from the stem; peduncle hardly developed, 2-flowered, spathe short, laterally compressed, broadly obtuse. Ovary 0.5 cm long, subsessile, cylindrical, glabrous. Flowers c. 1.5 cm across. Dorsal sepal oblong, 1 cm long, apex obtuse; apically incurved and slightly thickened, outside sparsely verruculose. Lateral sepals obliquely oblong, a little widened at the base, 1 cm long, apex obtuse; mentum short, obtuse. Petals from a narrow claw-like base obovate-spathulate, 1 cm long, apex obtuse; apically incurved and somewhat thickened, outside sparsely verruculose. Lip 3-lobed above the middle, 0.7 by 0.5 cm, cuneate at the base, in basal half transversely rugulose, with a linear basal keel which is subdentate in front and extends to the base of the midlobe, on the midlobe with a median basal patch of subulate papillae; lateral lobes patent, triangular, obtuse; midlobe larger, suborbicular, margins undulate, apex obtuse. Column short, rather thick, clinandrium 3-lobulate, the lateral lobules rounded, weakly denticulate, the median tooth-like, smaller; column-foot short, apex incurved. Anther rounded-cucullate, in front truncate, glabrous.
(after Schlechter, 1912).
Colours: Sepals and petals densely spotted with brown-red, lip yellow, the lateral lobes spotted brown-red.
Habitat: Epiphyte in lower montane forest. Altitude 800 m.
Flowering time in the wild: February.
Distribution: New Guinea (endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea (Madang Province: Djamu River).
Map: HAMADMAP.JPG [Dendrobium hamadryas Schltr., distribution map.]
Cultivation: Intermediate growing epiphyte.