Dendrobium trichosepalum Gilli, Ann. Naturhist. Mus. Wien 84, B (1980 publ. 1983) 30, fig. 19.
Type: Gilli 479 (holo W).
Stems pendulous, straight, terete, branching, long, 1-2 mm diameter. Leaf sheaths glabrous. Leaves erect-patent to subpatent, narrowly linear-lanceolate, 4.5-10 by 0.4 cm, verruculose-rough, apex obtusely and unequally bilobulate. Inflorescences short, 2-flowered, spathe consisting of a semicircular 3 by 4 mm lower sheath and a lingulate to sublanceolate, 0.7-1 cm by 2-3 mm upper sheath. Pedicel and ovary 0.7-1 cm long. Flowers c. 8 cm across. Sepals at the base lanceolate, in upper part filiform, 4-5 cm by 0.2-0.3 mm; mentum short, obtuse. Petals similar to the sepals, 1 mm wide at the base. Lip sublanceolate to sublinguiform, 1 by 0.4 cm, inside sparsely pilose, margins densely fimbriate.
(after Gilli).
Colours: Flower white, the filiform part of the sepals and petals yellow.
Habitat: Pendulous epiphyte high up in montane forest. Altitude 2950 m.
Flowering time in the wild: February.
Distribution: New Guinea (endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea (Enga Province).
Map: TRISEMAP.JPG [Dendrobium trichosepalum Gilli, distribution map.]
Notes: The published description and illustration of this species are exceptionally poor and probably misleading.
Cultivation: Cool growing epiphyte.