Dendrobium euryanthum

Dendrobium euryanthum Schltr., in K.Schum. & Lauterb., Nachtr. Fl. Deutsch. Schutzgeb. Südsee (1905) 162; Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1912) 487; 21 (1923) t. 164, fig. 615.

Type: Schlechter 14501 (holo B, lost).

An erect, suberect or pendent epiphytic herb. Pseudobulbs slender, slightly dilated above, 10-12 by 0.5 cm, 2-leaved at apex. Leaves twisted at base to lie in one plane, subcoriaceous, elliptic, acuminate, up to 10 by 3-5 cm, bluish green. Inflorescence about 8 cm long, 3-4-flowered; peduncle slender, wiry; bracts triangular, subacute, appressed, 2-3 mm long. Flowers fleshy. Dorsal sepal ovate, apiculate, 10-13 by 9 mm; lateral sepals obliquely triangular, subacute, 10-13 by 12-15 mm; mentum incurved-conical, 10-13 mm long. Petals elliptic, apiculate, 11.5 by 0.5 mm. Lip clawed, geniculate at base and slightly reflexed at apex, 3-lobed near apex, 13-15 by 11-13 mm; side lobes erect-incurved, rounded in front; midlobe conduplicate, transversely oblong, slightly apiculate; callus undulate at base, dilated at apex, 3-ridged. Column 3 mm long, with an entire apex; foot 10-13 mm long.
(after Cribb, 1983).

Colours: Flowers yellow or orange with an orange lip, veined red-brown.

Habitat: Epiphytic in montane forests. Altitude 800-1500 m.

Flowering time in the wild: April.

Distribution: New Guinea.

Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea (Torricelli Mountains; Southern Highlands & Enga Province).

Map: EURYAMAP.JPG [Dendrobium euryanthum Schltr., distribution map, redrawn from P. Cribb, Kew Bull. 38 (1983) 289, map 7.]

Notes: Dendrobium euryanthum is undoubtedly closely allied to Dendrobium punamense particularly in its habit, flower size and mentum shape but differs in having an orange lip in which the midlobe is distinctly longer than the side-lobes. Even more similar is Dendrobium armeniacum, which has a shorter, not incurved mentum, and a callus that is swollen at the base.
(largely after Cribb, 1983).

Cultivation: Intermediate growing epiphyte.

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