Dendrobium exaltatum Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1912) 604; 21 (1928) t. 203, fig. 765.
Type: Schlechter 17260 (holo B, lost).
Rhizome very short, roots elongated, filiform, flexuose, glabrous. Stems crowded, erect, straight, slightly laterally compressed, 90-100 cm by 10-13 mm, densely many-leaved. Leaf sheaths 1-1.3 cm wide, entirely covering the stem. Leaves patent, elliptic to elliptic-ligulate, 15-18 by 3-4.5 cm, apex unequally obtusely bilobulate, subcoriaceous. Inflorescences arising seemingly from the leaf-axils, subsessile, 2-flowered; spathe laterally compressed, rounded. Pedicel and ovary 1.8 cm long, glabrous. Flowers c. 3 cm across. Sepals keeled outside near the apex. Dorsal sepal oblong, 1.8 cm long, apex obtuse. Lateral sepals obliquely oblong, a little widened at the base, 1.8 cm long, apex obtuse; mentum short, obtuse. Petals obliquely elliptic-oblong, a little shorter than the sepals, apex obtuse. Lip 3-lobed below the middle, 1 by 0.7 cm, cuneate at the base, in lower half sparsely transversely rugulose, with a basal keel extending to the base of the midlobe, on either side at the base of the keel with a small tooth; lateral lobes short, semiquadrate, obtuse; midlobe very large, suborbicular, 0.6 cm wide, with a short basal claw, weakly apiculate. Column short, rather thick, clinandrium 3-lobulate, the lateral lobules truncate, denticulate, the median tooth-like; column-foot incurved. Anther rounded-cucullate, glabrous, in front subretuse.
(after Schlechter, 1912).
Colours: Flower cream coloured, lateral lobes of the lip dark violet, the column in front violet with a yellow spot at the base.
Habitat: Epiphyte in lower montane forest. Altitude 1000 m.
Flowering time in the wild: January.
Distribution: New Guinea (endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea (Madang Province: Kani Mountains).
Map: EXALTMAP.JPG [Dendrobium exaltatum Schltr., distribution map.]
Cultivation: Intermediate growing epiphyte.