Dendrobium cavipes J.J.Sm., Bull. Dép. Agric. Indes Néerl. 19 (1908) 14; Nova Guinea 8, 1 (1909) 82, t. 28, fig. 90.
Type: Versteeg 1377 (holo BO, iso L).
Rhizome short. Stems crowded, elongated, flexuose, 20-35 cm long, many-leaved, internodes 1.1-1.3 cm long. Leaf sheaths tubular, a little longer than the internodes, minutely squamulose. Leaves patent, lanceolate, 7-8 by 1.1-1.4 cm, apex acuminate, deeply narrowly setaceous-bidentate, with 5 prominent veins. Inflorescences arising laterally from the stem, racemose, very short, 2-4-flowered. Floral bracts suborbicular, 0.65 by 0.7 cm, strongly concave, on both sides minutely squamulose. Ovary 0.8 cm long, 6-grooved, squamulose. Flowers 1.8 cm long, subcampanulate, fleshy, outside squamulose. Dorsal sepal broadly elliptic, 1.1 cm by 8 mm, concave, 7-nerved, apex broadly obtuse. Lateral sepals obliquely widened at the base, the free part obliquely elliptic-ovate, 1.2 cm by 9 mm, 9-nerved, apex broadly obtuse; mentum subconical, 1.2 cm long, obtuse. Petals obovate, 1.1 cm by 6.5 mm, concave, 3-nerved at the base, margins erose in apical part, apex broadly obtuse. Lip 3-lobed in front, 1.6 by 1.7 cm, 7-nerved at the base, claw oblong, 0.4 by 0.33 cm, concave, with the basal half adnate to the column-foot, the blade ventricose-concave, thickened in the middle, with a transverse callus which is scale-like extended at the posterior side, appressed to and half as long as the claw, finely laciniate at the apex, midlobe villose, except at apex; lateral lobes erect, narrowly triangular, 0.45 cm long, in front long-fimbriate, obtuse, much surpassing the column, about as long as the midlobe; midlobe very broadly triangular, 0.35 by 1 cm, concave, fleshy, obtuse. Column broad, 0.4 cm long, clinandrium 3-lobulate, the lateral lobules fimbriate-denticulate, the median subulate; stigma 5-angled; rostellum broadly excised, bidentate; column-foot 0.7 cm long, straight, in apical part thickened and strongly inflated-concave, inside with a longitudinal keel which is widened towards the apex. Anther cucullate, shortened-ovate, 0.25 cm wide. Pollinia oblong.
(after Smith, 1909).
Colours: Flower white, lip in basal part with rose-red markings, hairs on the midlobe yellow.
Habitat: Epiphyte in lowland forest.
Flowering time in the wild: July.
Distribution: New Guinea (endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Merauke Regency: Lorentz River area); Papua New Guinea (Southern Highlands Province: Lake Kutubu).
Cultivation: Warm growing epiphyte.