Dendrobium perlongum

Dendrobium perlongum Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1912) 587; 21 (1928) t. 196, fig. 736.

Type: Schlechter 17102 (holo B, lost; iso AMES, BO, E, G, K, L, NSW).

Rhizome very short, roots elongated, filiform, flexuose, glabrous. Stems crowded, pendulous, terete, very long, up to 300 cm by 10 mm, densely many-leaved, unbranched. Leaf sheaths entirely covering the stem. Leaves narrowly lanceolate-ligulate, 13-18 by 1.6-2 cm, apex obtuse, obtusely and unequally bilobulate. Inflorescences arising laterally from the stem, peduncle hardly developed, 2-flowered, spathe laterally compressed, semiorbicular, broadly obtuse. Ovary 2 cm long, subsessile, cylindrical, glabrous. Flowers c. 4 cm across, fleshy. Dorsal sepal narrowly oblong, 2.2 cm long, apex obtuse; thickened near the apex. Lateral sepals obliquely narrowly oblong, widened at the base, 2.2 cm long, apex obtuse; thickened near the apex; mentum short. Petals obliquely narrowly oblong-ligulate, a little shorter than the sepals, apex obtuse. Lip 3-lobed in the middle, 1 by 0.5 cm, inside rugulose, with a thin basal keel extending to the base of the midlobe, on either side at the base of the keel with a very small warty plate, on the midlobe with a median row of warts; lateral lobes small, ovate-triangular, obtuse; midlobe large, ovate, margins undulate, apex acute. Column short, clinandrium 3-lobulate, the lateral lobules rounded, the median smaller, tooth-like; column-foot incurved. Anther quadrangular-cucullate, in front excised, glabrous.
(after Schlechter, 1912).

Colours: Sepals and petals cream-colour, lip yellowish with an orange-red median band and brownish lateral lobes.

Habitat: Epiphyte on tall trees in lower montane forest. Altitude 1000 m.

Flowering time in the wild: December.

Distribution: New Guinea (endemic).

Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea (Madang Province: Ibo Mountains).

Map: PERLOMAP.JPG [Dendrobium perlongum Schltr., distribution map.]

Cultivation: Intermediate growing epiphyte.

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