Dendrobium gjellerupii J.J.Sm., Bull. Dép. Agric. Indes Néerl. 45 (1911) 4; Nova Guinea 8, 3 (1911) 554, t. 89A.
Type: Gjellerup 303 (holo BO, also alc.).
Rhizome short. Stems crowded, erect, elongated, somewhat compressed, below in cross-section elliptic, in upper part flexuose, slightly widened and flattened, to 63 cm by 2.8-5 mm, internodes 2.2-5 cm long. Leaf sheaths tubular, strongly laterally compressed, strongly transversely rugose, shorter than the internodes, 5-6 mm wide, with a large, 1-1.15 cm long, broadly oblong-triangular, keeled, verrucose-rugose appendage which clasps the stem opposite the leaf-blade. Leaves patent, lanceolate, 7.5-9.75 by 2-2.6 cm, verruculose above, base conduplicate, clasping the stem, apex obtusely and somewhat unequally rounded-bilobed. Inflorescences arising laterally from the stem, short, 2-flowered; peduncle 0.17 cm long, spathe laterally compressed, verrucose, obtuse. Pedicel and ovary 0.5 cm long, obconical, densely verrucose. Flowers c. 3 cm across. Dorsal sepal sublinear, gradually tapering to the apex, 2 cm by 4.8 mm, concave, outside verrucose, carnose, especially in apical part, 7-nerved, apex narrowly obtuse. Lateral sepals sublinear, widened to the triangular base, falcate, 1.65 cm by 8 mm, apex narrowly obtuse; thickened in apical part, 8-nerved at the base; mentum straight, broad, 0.5 cm long, broadly obtuse, subretuse. Petals linear, falcate, 1.67 cm by 1.8 mm, thickened in apical part, concave, 3-nerved, apex subulate, acute. Lip weakly 3-lobed near the apex, strongly recurved, concave, 0.95 by 0.7 cm, base broadly cuneate, inside long-hairy, with a straight, glabrous basal keel, which is terminated at the apex by a cushion-like swelling covered with soft prickly hairs, lateral lobes erect, short, triangular, acute, apex lacerate-lobulate, median lobule triangular, 0.95 by 0.7 cm, acutely acuminate. Column straight, 0.38 cm long, clinandrium with broadly triangular denticulate lateral lobules; stigma suborbicular; column-foot at right angles to the ovary, 0.53 cm by 2.8 mm, straight, at base thickened, subcallose, at extreme apex concave, incurved and thinner-textured. Anther cucullate, transversely elliptic, apex truncate, finely erose, in front convex, 1.5 mm wide. Pollinia oblong, laterally compressed, convex outside, the interior ones narrower.
(after Smith, 1911).
Colours: Flower greenish yellow, the lip more green.
Habitat: Epiphyte in lowland forest. Altitude 50 m.
Flowering time in the wild: August.
Distribution: New Guinea, Australia.
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (near Jayapura, "Hollandia Bivouac").
Map: GJELLMAP.JPG [Dendrobium gjellerupii J.J.Sm., distribution map.]
Cultivation: Warm growing epiphyte.