Dendrobium globiflorum Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1912) 621; 21 (1928) t. 209, fig. 789.
Type: Schlechter 17141 (holo B, lost; iso AMES, BM, BO 2x, E, G, K, L 3x, MO, NSW, S).
Rhizome very short, roots elongated, filiform, flexuose, glabrous. Stems crowded, patent, strongly laterally flattened, unbranched, to 90 cm by 13 mm, many-leaved. Leaf sheaths 1.3 cm wide, entirely covering the stem, ancipitous. Leaves suberect, elliptic-ligulate to elliptic, 10-12 by 2.7-3.4 cm, base subpetiolate, apex obtuse, keeled below. Inflorescences arising laterally from the stem, subsessile, 2-flowered, spathe very short, laterally compressed, broadly obtuse. Ovary 1.3 cm long, glabrous. Flowers c. 4 cm across. Dorsal sepal elliptic, 2.4 cm long, apex obtuse. Lateral sepals falcate, much widened at the base, 2.4 cm long, apex obtuse; mentum subglobose, 1.5 cm wide. Petals obliquely elliptic-spathulate, c. 2.3 cm long, apex obtuse. Lip 3-lobed near the apex, broadly cuneate-reniform in outline, 1.1 by 1.3 cm, at the base with bearded papillae, inside, except along the lateral margins, rather densely covered with subulate papillae; lateral lobes rounded, broadly obtuse; midlobe slightly longer, 3-lobulate, the lobules obtuse, the median longer than the lateral lobules. Column short, only a little narrowed to the apex; column-foot very long, incurved, gradually narrowing to the apex. Anther reniform-cucullate, glabrous.
(after Schlechter, 1912).
Colours: Flower white, the papillae at the base of the lip orange-red, column yellow with a darker, striped foot.
Habitat: Epiphyte in montane forest. Altitude 1000 to 2150 m.
Flowering time in the wild: January, February, June, September-December.
Distribution: New Guinea, Bismarck Archipelago.
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Sorong and Jayapura Regencies); Papua New Guinea (Southern Highlands, Eastern Highlands, Western Highlands, Madang, and East New Britain Provinces).
Map: GLOBIMAP.JPG [Dendrobium globiflorum Schltr., distribution map.]
Notes: Dendrobium globiflorum belongs to a group of species, all with white flowers, a long incurved column-foot, and strongly flattened stems, that Schlechter considered to be a section of its own, which he called Eriopexis. We prefer to keep these species in section Grastidium, as this contains several other equally distinctive subgroups.
Cultivation: Intermediate growing epiphyte.