Dendrobium rhytidothece Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1912) 630; 21 (1928) t. 212, fig. 799.
Type: Schlechter 19518 (holo B, lost; iso AMES, BO, G, L 2x, NSW, S).
Rhizome very short, roots elongated, rather thick, flexuose, glabrous. Stems crowded, erect, laterally compressed, 35-45 cm by 2.5 mm, densely many-leaved. Leaf sheaths 0.25 cm wide, entirely covering the stem, densely rugulose. Leaves erect, linear, 8-12 by 0.35-0.4 cm, apex obtuse, unequally bidentate. Inflorescences arising laterally from the stem, 1-flowered, sessile. Floral bract minute. Pedicel and ovary 0.5 cm long, glabrous. Flower not resupinated, c. 1 cm across. Dorsal sepal oblong, 0.9 cm long, apex obtuse. Lateral sepals obliquely oblong, much widened at the base, 0.9 cm long, apex obtuse; mentum 0.5 cm long, obtuse. Petals obliquely ligulate, a little shorter than the sepals, apex obtuse. Lip 3-lobed in apical third, 0.9 by 0.6 cm, hypochile broadly elliptic, concave, with a broadly obtuse, broad, backwards-pointing callus; lateral lobes short, obtuse; epichile subreniform, distinctly narrower than the hypochile, sparsely transversely rugulose. Column short, clinandrium 3-lobulate, the lateral lobules very short, the median longer, weakly 3-dentate; column-foot oblong, 0.5 cm long. Anther quadrangular-helmet-shaped, minutely verruculose, in front truncate.
(after Schlechter, 1912).
Colours: Flower light yellow, lip near the base spotted red, to the apex dark purple-brown, column striped red in front, anther dark red.
Habitat: Epiphyte in lower montane forest. Altitude 1200 m.
Flowering time in the wild: May.
Distribution: New Guinea (endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea (Morobe Province: Maboro Mountains).
Cultivation: Intermediate growing epiphyte.