Orchids of New Guinea

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Dendrobium anosmum

Dendrobium anosmum Lindl., Edwards's Bot. Reg. (1845) Misc. 32.

Type: Loddiges cult. s.n. (Philippines) (holo K-LINDL).

Synonyms:

Callista anosma (Lindl.) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. (1891) 653.
Dendrobium superbum Rchb.f., in Walp., Ann. Bot. Syst. 6 (1861) 282 (nom. nov.).
Dendrobium mastersianum Kraenzl., in Engl., Pflanzenr. IV. 50. II. B. 21 (1910) 38.
- Type: Fitzgerald 41 (syn HBG); Copeland King s.n. (syn HBG).
Dendrobium leucorhodum Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1912) 499; 21 (1923) t. 170, fig. 632.
- Type: Schlechter 17846 (holo B, lost); para: 17922; 18331 (AMES, K, MO); 19940; 19985.

Rhizome very short, roots elongated, filiform, flexuose, glabrous. Pseudobulbs crowded, many-leaved, pendulous, cylindrical, 60-110 long, unbranched. Leaves oblong to elliptic-ligulate, 10-15 by 2.2-3.5 cm, base cuneate, apex unequally bilobulate, soon deciduous. Inflorescences lateral, short, racemose; peduncle 0.5-0.7 cm long, covered with short, obtuse scales, 1-3-flowered. Floral bracts similar to the peduncle scales, much shorter than the pedicel. Pedicel and ovary 3.5 cm long, slender, cylindrical, glabrous. Flowers resupinated, c. 6 cm wide. Dorsal sepal elliptic-ligulate, 3 cm long, apex obtuse, apiculate. Lateral sepals obliquely elliptic-ligulate, slightly widened to the base, 3 cm long, apex obtuse, apiculate; mentum 7 mm long, obtuse. Petals obliquely elliptic, 3 cm by 14-16 mm, margins minutely subciliate-serrulate, apex apiculate. Lip clawed, the claw quadrangular, c. 4 mm long, the blade orbicular, 2.1 by 2.1 cm, at the base with a subquadrate callus which is slightly longitudinally keeled in the centre and somewhat swollen distally, terminating with 3 humps, the midvein slightly raised, decurrent towards the apex; adaxial side of the blade minutely papillose-pubescent, margins minutely serrulate-ciliate, abaxial side glabrous. Column 0.7 cm long, clinandrium 3-lobulate, the lateral lobules triangular, a little shorter than the tooth-like median lobule; column-foot 0.7 cm long, near the apex with an orbicular cavity. Anther broadly quadrate-cucullate, in front truncate, minutely serrulate, at the back retuse, glabrous.
(after Schlechter, 1912).

Colours:

Flowers outside whitish, inside violet-pink, the lip with two darker blotches; anther dark red.

Habitat:

Epiphyte in lowland forest, especially along rivers. Altitude 0 to 650 m.

Distribution:

India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi, Lesser Sunda Islands, Moluccas, New Guinea, Philippines.

Distribution New Guinea:

Papua (Jayapura Regency); Papua New Guinea (Gulf, Sandaun, Madang, Morobe, Central, and Milne Bay Provinces).

Cultivation:

Warm growing epiphyte.

Flowering time in the wild:

Throughout the year.

Classification:

Family Orchidaceae
Subfamily Epidendroideae
Tribe Dendrobieae
Subtribe Dendrobiinae
Genus Dendrobium
Section Dendrobium
Species Dendrobium anosmum

Literature:

Howcroft, N.H.S. 1990. Orchadian 9: 263, fig. 1.
O'Byrne, P. 1994. Lowland Orchids of Papua New Guinea: 228, fig., pl.
Smith, J.J. 1913. Nova Guinea 12, 1: 74.
Smith, J.J. 1916. Nova Guinea 12, 3: 351.

Notes:

Dendrobium anosmum Lindl.an easily recognisable species with pendulous stems and large flowers of the Dendrobium nobile type. O'Byrne (1994) reports several colour forms. In spite of its name, the flowers of D. anosmum are not odourless, but rather unpleasantly scented.