Cadetia stenocentrum (Schltr.) Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1912) 431.
Basionym: Dendrobium stenocentrum.
Rhizome very short. Stems crowded, erect, slender, widened in upper part, 4-angled, 4.5-7 cm long, at apex 4 mm diameter, 1-leaved. Leaves erect-patent, obliquely narrowly subfalcate-oblong, 5.5-9 by 0.9-1.4 cm, subcoriaceous, apex minutely bilobulate. Inflorescences terminal from the leaf axil, 1-flowered. Pedicel and ovary 1 cm long, 3-winged. Flower resupinated, c. 0.9 cm across. Dorsal sepal ovate, 0.5 cm long, apex obtuse. Lateral sepals obliquely ovate, 0.5 cm long, apex obtuse; mentum spur-like, more or less widened in the middle, 0.6 cm long. Petals erect, linear, at base obliquely dilated, 0.5 cm long, apex acute. Lip 3-lobed in basal third of the blade, clawed, 0.6 cm long (largely excluding the claw); lateral lobes erect, subquadrate; midlobe cuneate subquadrate-oblong, with 3 ('2') parallel keels, apex truncate. Column very short, stelidia tooth-like, filament obtuse; column-foot pubescent.
(after Schlechter, 1905).
Colours: Sepals and petals greenish white, lip white, the lobes in front rose.
Habitat: Epiphyte in hill forest. Altitude 600 m.
Flowering time in the wild: April, September.
Distribution: New Guinea (endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea (Sandaun Province: Torricelli Range).
Map: STECEMAP.JPG [Cadetia stenocentrum (Schltr.) Schltr., distribution map.]
Notes: Cadetia stenocentrum is very similar to Cadetia angustifolia, and especially to Cadetia collina and Cadetia quinquecostata. From C. angustifolia it differs in the not crenulate lateral lobes of the broader lip, and in the colour, while from C. collina and C. quinquecostata it differs mainly in that the lip is provided with 3 instead of 5 keels. The differences between these species are very slight, and it seems probable that only C. angustifolia and C. stenocentrum can be maintained at species level.
Cultivation: Warm to intermediate growing epiphyte.