Dendrobium delicatulum

Dendrobium delicatulum F.Muell. & Kraenzl., Österr. Bot. Zeitschr. 44 (1894) 162 (non Kraenzl.).

Type: Anonymus cult. s.n. (Moreton Bay ) (holo HBG).

Stems somewhat laterally flattened, up to 30 cm long, 5-6-leaved, the upper part of the stem apparently leafless and with shorter internodes. Leaves lanceolate, 6-7.5 by 1 cm, acuminate, weakly undulate, papyraceous. Inflorescences up to 4 per stem from the upper leaf-axils, racemose, weakly zigzag, 3-4 cm long, few-flowered. Floral bracts linear, minute. Flowers c. 1 cm long, hardly opening. Dorsal sepal oblong, c. 1 cm long, apex obtuse. Lateral sepals oblong, c. 1 cm long, apex acute; mentum subglobose at apex, open in front. Petals cuneate-spathulate, c. 1 cm long, apex rounded. Lip clawed, subpandurate-obcordate, c. 1 cm long, on the claw with a small solid tooth, on the disc with 3 hardly raised lines, margins minutely erose, apical part much widened, emarginate. Column pilose along the front margins, stelidia bilobulate, filament simple; rostellum large, wart-like swollen in front.
(after Kraenzlin, 1910).

Colours: Flower white, translucent, tips of sepals and petals suffused with pale rose-red.

Habitat: Not known. Presumably in the lowlands.

Flowering time in the wild: Not known.

Distribution: New Guinea (endemic).

Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea (Southeastern part: Moreton Bay).

Notes: Dendrobium delicatulum F.Muell. & Kraenzl. (non Kraenzl. 1892) is probably a member of section Brevisaccata. If not already described under another name, it requires a new name, as Dendrobium delicatulum Kraenzl. (= Dendrobium parvulum), described two years earlier, has priority.

Cultivation: Warm growing epiphyte.

%LABEL% (%SOURCE%)