Dendrobium phaeanthum Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1912) 603; 21 (1928) t. 202, fig. 762.
Type: Schlechter 19883 (holo B, lost).
Rhizome very short, roots elongated, filiform, flexuose, glabrous. Stems crowded, erect to ascending, conspicuously laterally flattened, 40 cm by 6-7 mm, many-leaved. Leaf sheaths 6-7 mm wide, entirely covering the stem, densely verruculose. Leaves erect-patent, oblong, 5-7 by 1.5-2.3 cm, apex obtuse, unequally bilobulate. Inflorescences arising laterally from the stem, subsessile, 2-flowered; spathe semiorbicular, laterally flattened, densely verruculose, obtuse. Pedicel and ovary 0.8 cm long, verruculose. Flowers c. 4 cm across. Sepals outside densely verruculose-papillose. Dorsal sepal lanceolate, 2.5 cm long, apex subacute. Lateral sepals falcate, a little widened at the base, 2.5 cm long, apex subacute; mentum short, obtuse. Petals falcate-linear, a little shorter than the sepals, glabrous, apex subacute. Lip 3-lobed at one quarter from the apex, 1.3 by 0.8 cm, minutely pubescent inside, with an apically dentate basal keel extending to the base of the midlobe, the latter with a cushion-like patch of acute, recurved, subulate papillae covering base and centre; lateral lobes short, rounded; midlobe semiorbicular, margin crenate-pectinate. Column short, clinandrium 3-lobulate, the lateral lobules rounded, the median tooth-like; column-foot with a cavity at the apex. Anther rounded-cucullate, in front truncate and minutely verruculose.
(after Schlechter, 1912).
Colours: Sepals and petals brownish, lip whitish, the column-foot spotted red, in front with a light brown spot.
Habitat: Epiphyte in lower montane forest. Altitude 1200 m.
Flowering time in the wild: June.
Distribution: New Guinea (endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea (Morobe Province: Maboro Mountains).
Map: PHAEAMAP.JPG [Dendrobium phaeanthum Schltr., distribution map.]
Cultivation: Intermediate growing epiphyte.