Diplocaulobium dichrotropis

Diplocaulobium dichrotropis (Schltr.) A.D.Hawkes, Lloydia 20 (1957) 128.

Basionym: Dendrobium dichrotropis.

Rhizome to 40 cm long, pendulous, roots very long, filiform, flexuose, glabrous. Pseudobulbs widely spaced, 1-leaved, cylindrical, 4- to 6-angled, 2.5-3.5 by 0.35-0.5 cm, often closely appressed to the rhizome. Leaves ligulate, 5-6.5 by 0.8-1 cm, apex obtuse, minutely bilobulate, coriaceous. Inflorescences arising in succession from the apex of the pseudobulb, 1-flowered; spathe laterally compressed. Pedicel and ovary 1.8 cm long, slender, cylindrical, glabrous. Flower resupinate, c. 3 cm across, subacute, 6-8 mm long. Dorsal sepal lanceolate, narrowed to the apex, 1.4 cm long, apex obtuse. Lateral sepals obliquely subfalcate, widened to the base, 1.4 cm long, apex obtuse; mentum conical, 5 mm long, obtuse. Petals linear, slightly widened at the base along the anterior margin, c. 1.3 cm long, apex subacute; glabrous. Lip 3-lobed in the middle, 1.5 by 0.4 cm, subcuneate-oblong at the base, with 3 keels extending from the base to a little below the apex, the lateral keels initially diverging, abruptly converging near the middle, wavy and bifurcate on the midlobe, the median keel straight; lateral lobes short, obtuse; midlobe elliptic, 0.7 by 0.35 cm, margins undulate, apex acute. Column short, glabrous, clinandrium 3-lobulate, the lateral lobules semiorbicular, sparsely dentate along posterior margin, apiculate, the median triangular, acute, longer; column-foot 5 mm long. Anther quadrate-cucullate, subretuse in front, at the back with an obscure hump, glabrous.
(after Schlechter, 1912).

Colours: Flower white, lip with yellow keels, in basal half sparsely spotted red.

Habitat: Epiphyte in hill forest. Altitude 800 m.

Flowering time in the wild: September.

Distribution: New Guinea (endemic).

Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea (Sandaun Province: Torricelli Mountains).

Cultivation: Intermediate growing epiphyte.

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