Dendrobium stockeri

Dendrobium stockeri T.Yukawa, Lindleyana 15 (2000) 189, fig. 1.

Type: Stocker s.n. (PNG, no locality, probably Kuper Range, Morobe Province, c. 1700 m) (holo TNS).

Stems crowded, erect, narrowly fusiform, somewhat laterally compressed, 32 cm by 11 mm, up to 14-leaved. Leaf sheaths furfuraceous. Leaves erect to erect-patent, ovate-lanceolate, 5.4-11.3 by 2.2-3.2 cm, coriaceous, furfuraceous on both sides, apex obliquely acuminate. Inflorescences laterally from both leafy and defoliated stems, racemose, 0.8 cm long; peduncle 0.4 cm long; rachis 0.4 cm long, densely 4-11-flowered. Floral bracts broadly ovate-lanceolate, 1.4 by 0.9 cm, apex acute, furfuraceous. Pedicel and ovary 0.6-0.68 cm long, densely furfuraceous. Flowers c. 1.8 cm long, sepals furfuraceous outside. Dorsal sepal oblong-ovate, 1.15-1.3 cm by 5.5-6 mm, concave, apex obtuse. Lateral sepals obliquely oblong, 1.7-2.05 cm by 7 mm, apex obtuse; mentum appressed to the ovary, 0.4-0.64 cm long, obtuse. Petals obliquely spathulate-rhomboid, 1.1-1.3 cm by 5-5.3 mm, concave, margins slightly erose, apex obtuse. Lip weakly 3-lobed, in outline pandurate-spathulate, 1.5-1.65 by 0.7-0.97 cm, transversely folded at the base of the midlobe, with two keels between the lateral lobes, near the base with a retrorse, bifurcate appendage; lateral lobes indistinct, broadly triangular; midlobe transverse, obovate (but appearing almost semi-orbicular in Yukawa's illustration), margins erose, inside with dense, long, sometimes branching thick hairs, apex obtuse. Column 0.35-0.4 cm long, dilated at the middle, clinandrium dentate; column-foot straight, basally grooved. Anther cucullate, transverse, ovate, 1.4 by 2 mm, glabrous.
(after Yukawa, 2000).

Colours: Sepals creamy white, petals white, lip creamy white, in centre and basal part yellowish, column and anther creamy white, pollinia transparent dull yellow.

Habitat: Probably montane forest at c. 1700 m.

Flowering time in the wild: Not known.

Distribution: New Guinea (endemic).

Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea (Locality data lost, probably Morobe Province: Kuper Range).

Cultivation: Probably cool growing epiphyte.

%LABEL% (%SOURCE%)