Diplocaulobium guttulatum

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

Basionym: Dendrobium guttulatum.

Rhizome short, roots elongated, filiform, flexuose, glabrous. Pseudobulbs crowded, 1-leaved, slender, to the base obclavate, 15-23 by 1 (at the base) to 0.2-0.3 cm (near the apex). Leaves oblong, 5-7 by 1.4-1.6 cm, apex obtuse, bilobulate. Inflorescences arising in succession from the apex of the pseudobulb, 1-flowered, spathe laterally compressed, to c. 1 cm long, acute. Floral bract deltoid, minute. Pedicel and ovary 2.5-3 cm long, slender, glabrous. Flower resupinated, c. 6 cm across. Dorsal sepal lanceolate, narrowing to the elongated apex, 3 cm long. Lateral sepals obliquely lanceolate, narrowing to the elongated apex, widened to the base, 3 cm long; mentum 3 mm long, obtuse. Petals obliquely linear-lanceolate, narrowing to the elongated apex, 3 cm long. Lip 3-lobed in basal fourth, 1.2 by 0.4 (across lateral lobes) to 0.6 cm (across midlobe), cuneate at the base, with two parallel glabrous keels extending from the base to near the apex, the keels undulate and more widely separated on the claw of the midlobe, converging on the blade of the midlobe, in between on the claw with an elongated farinose callus; lateral lobes short, obliquely oblong, obtuse; midlobe reniform with an oblong claw, margins ciliate, apex broadly obtuse. Column short, clinandrium 3-lobulate, the median lobule tooth-like, the laterals short, serrulate; column-foot 0.3 cm long. Anther reniform-cucullate, glabrous, in front subretuse, at the back with a small hump.
(after Schlechter, 1912).

Colours: Sepals and petals brown-red, lip white with red dots in basal half.

Habitat: Epiphyte in lower montane forest. Altitude 700-1000 m.

Flowering time in the wild: May, September.

Distribution: New Guinea (endemic).

Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea (Madang Province; Morobe Province: Maboro Mountains).

Notes: Differs from Diplocaulobium mekynosepalum in that the keels extend to near the apex of the lip.

Cultivation: Intermediate growing epiphyte.

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