Dendrobium multistriatum J.J.Sm., Bull. Dép. Agric. Indes Néerl. 19 (1908) 18; Nova Guinea 8, 1 (1909) 75, t. 26, fig. 81.
Type: Bogor cult. (Exp. Lorentz, Djibdja 131) s.n. (holo BO).
Rhizome short. Stems crowded, elongated, compressed, elliptic in cross-section, to 75 cm by 5 mm, internodes 1.7-4 cm long. Leaf sheaths tubular, longer than the internodes, with raised veins, opposite the leaf-blade with a short broadly triangular apical tooth. Leaves oblong-ovate, 9-10 by 4.1 cm, base half-twisted, apex gradually acuminate, shortly unequally bidentate, carnose-coriaceous, weekly keeled below. Inflorescences arising laterally from the stem, very short; peduncle 0.33 cm long, compressed, 2-flowered, spathe laterally compressed, short, broad, broadly obtuse. Floral bracts minute. Pedicel and ovary 0.15 cm long, 6-grooved. Flowers c. 1.7 cm across, ephemeral. Dorsal sepal linear, 1.8 cm by 3.4 mm, outside verrucose, apex obtuse. Lateral sepals lanceolate-triangular, falcate-incurved, 1.5 cm by 6 mm, concave, outside verrucose, apex obtuse; mentum short, conical, 0.4 cm long, obtuse, emarginate. Petals linear, subfalcate in upper part, 1.5 cm by 2.3 mm, outside verrucose. Lip 3-lobed below the middle, 0.95 by 0.8 cm, inside with prominent, interrupted, verrucose nerves, with a longitudinal hairy-muricate band, narrowly linear between the lateral lobes, which is strongly ovate-widened on the midlobe and extends to its apex; lateral lobes erect, obliquely triangular, apex falcate-recurved, front margin crenulate, surpassing the column, apex obtuse to acute; midlobe recurved, ovate, 0.65 by 0.6 cm, margins finely laciniate, apex apiculate. Column straight, 0.38 cm long, clinandrium 3-lobulate, the lateral lobules broad, rounded, the median triangular, stigma small; column-foot at almost right angles to the ovary, 0.35 cm long, incurved, truncate. Anther cucullate.
(after Smith, 1909).
Colours: Sepals and petals yellow with brown dots, lip white with dark purple veins, the median band yellowish. Column and anther white, the column-foot with transverse purple bands.
Habitat: Epiphyte in lowland forest.
Flowering time in the wild: Not recorded.
Distribution: New Guinea (endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Merauke Regency: Lorentz River).
Map: MULSTMAP.JPG [Dendrobium multistriatum J.J.Sm., distribution map.]
Cultivation: Warm growing epiphyte.