Dendrobium dulce

Dendrobium dulce J.J.Sm., Nova Guinea 8, 1 (1909) 71, pl. 24, 77.

Type: Bogor cult. s.n. (1908) (holo BO).

Rhizome short, branching. Stems crowded, erect, grass-like, slender, unbranched, in cross-section subelliptic to almost orbicular, 60 cm by 2.8 mm, many-leaved, internodes 1.5-2.5 cm long. Leaf sheaths much longer than the internodes, tubular, with a large apical tooth with thickened margins opposite the leaf-blade, in lower part almost smooth, elsewhere with longitudinal raised lines, transversely rugulose. Leaves widely patent, linear, gradually narrowed to the apex, 9-12.5 by 0.75-0.9 cm, base not twisted, shortly and broadly cuneate-narrowed, apex strongly unequally acutely bidentate, papyraceous, keeled below. Inflorescences arising laterally from the stem, perforating two sheaths, very short, 2-flowered; peduncle 1.1-1.3 cm long, laterally compressed, peduncle-scales few, large, 1.3 cm long, membranous, translucent, spathe laterally compressed, consisting of 3 sheaths of which the largest is oblong, obtuse, 0.75-0.85 cm long. Floral bracts minute, triangular. Pedicel 0.75 cm long; ovary 0.3 cm long, 6-grooved. Flowers c. 10 cm across, ephemeral, sweetly fragrant. Dorsal sepal linear, c. 1.5 cm above the base narrowed and channel-like, filiform in upper part, 6 cm by 4 mm, margins incurved. Lateral sepals falcate-triangular at the base, filiform in upper part, 5.3 cm by 8.5 mm, with a prominent keel outside, margins incurved; mentum conical, straight, 0.65 cm long, truncate-obtuse. Petals weakly sigmoid, linear, becoming filiform towards the apex, 5 cm by 1.8 mm, concave. Lip 3-lobed in apical third, 1.35 by 0.85 cm, with a glabrous basal keel extending to the base of the midlobe, sparsely pilose on either side of the keel, on the midlobe with a patch of long hairs; lateral lobes erect, falcate-porrect, oblong, 0.4 cm long, obtuse, irregularly denticulate, clasping and much surpassing the column; midlobe revolute, ovate, 0.6 by 0.55 cm, densely laciniate, the laciniae fringed and dentate, apex slender subulate-acuminate. Column at an obtuse angle to the ovary, contracted at the apex, 0.35 cm long, papillose, clinandrium with rounded, crenulate lateral lobules, stigma large, urn-like; column-foot at right angles to the ovary, 0.5 cm long, straight, apex incurved, inside hollowed out. Anther cucullate, truncate. Pollinia oblong.
(after Smith, 1909).

Colours: Sepals and petals yellowish, lip white, the lateral lobes with prominent purple dots, the midlobe with purple fringes, keels pale red. Column white, margins dotted purple, anther white, pollinia pale yellowish.

Habitat: Not recorded.

Flowering time in the wild: Not recorded.

Distribution: New Guinea (endemic).

Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (locality not recorded).

Cultivation: Warm growing epiphyte.

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