Orchids of New Guinea

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Dendrobium sylvanum

Dendrobium sylvanum Rchb.f., Linnaea 41 (1877) 91.

Type: Vieillard 1304 (holo W) (OR

Synonyms:

Grastidium sylvanum (Rchb.f.) Rauschert, Feddes Repert. 94 (1983) 453.
Durabaculum sylvanum ([Rchb.f.] Rauscher) M.A.Clem. & D.L.Jones, Orchadian 13 (2002) 489
Dendrobium kennedyi Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 17 (1921) 374.
- Type: Kennedy s.n. (1894; Stirling Range, British Papua) (holo B, lost).
Durabaculum kennedyi (Schltr.) M.A.Clem. & D.L.Jones, Orchadian 13 (2002) 488
Dendrobium prionochilum F.Muell. & Kraenzl., Österr. Bot. Zeitschr. 44 (1894) 162.
- Type: Forbes s.n. (1887) (holo MEL, iso HBG).
Durabaculum prionochilum (F.Muell. & Kraenzl.) M.A.Clem. & D.L.Jones, Orchadian 13 (2002) 488
Dendrobium robustum Rolfe, Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew (1895) 33.
- Type: Sander cult. s.n. (I-1895, New Guinea) (holo K).
Dendrobium validum Schltr., in K.Schum. & Lauterb., Nachtr. Fl. Deutsch. Schutzgeb. Südsee (1905) 165; Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 21 (1923) t. 172, fig. 643.
- Type: Schlechter 14622 (holo B, lost; iso AMES, BR, K); s.n. (BO).
Durabaculum validum (Schltr.) M.A.Clem. & D.L.Jones, Orchadian 13 (2002) 489
Dendrobium warianum Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1912) 548; 21 (1923) t. 185, fig. 693.
- Type: Schlechter 19951 (holo B, lost; iso AD, AMES, BO, G, L, NSW).
Durabaculum warianum (Schltr.) M.A.Clem. & D.L.Jones, Orchadian 13 (2002) 489

An epiphytic herb. Stems cane-like, 50-120 cm tall, slightly dilated in middle, 1-2 cm diam. Leaves coriaceous, oblong to narrowly oblong-ovate or elliptic, obtuse or rounded at the unequally bilobed apex, 8-16 by 2.5-5.5 cm, articulated at base to tubular sheaths 3-4 cm long. Inflorescences 20-55 cm long, densely up to 40-flowered; bracts lanceolate, acuminate, 5-13 mm long. Flowers: pedicel and ovary 2.2-3.7 cm long. Dorsal sepal narrowly oblong, obtuse, apiculate, l.8-2.2 by 0.5-0.6 cm, recurved; lateral sepals recurved, oblique, oblong, obtuse, 2.1-2.7 by 0.7-0.9 cm; mentum conical, 6-7 mm long. Petals spathulate, rounded or emarginate, l.9-2.6 by 0.5-0.6 cm, not or half-twisted. Lip narrow, 3-lobed, l.8-2.4 by 0.8-l.1 cm; side-lobes narrowly oblong, rounded and erose in front; midlobe recurved, oblong, apiculate or obtuse, with undulate margins; callus of three ridges all undulate and raised at apex into oblong or triangular flaps on middle of midlobe, mid-ridge longest. Column 4 mm long, erose at apex, with very short acute apical stelidia.
(after Cribb, 1986).

Colours:

Flowers bronze-yellow, golden-yellow to yellow-green with brown or purple lines at base of sepals and petals; lip with purple venation and a white callus tipped with violet.

Habitat:

Epiphyte in coastal and swamp forest as well as rainforest. Altitude 0-80 m.

Distribution:

New Guinea, Bismarck Archipelago (New Ireland), Solomon Islands, ?New Caledonia.

Distribution New Guinea:

Papua New Guinea, widespread along the north coast.

Map: Dendrobium sylvanum Rchb.f., distribution map, redrawn from P. Cribb, Kew Bull. 41 (1986) 644, map 4.

Cultivation:

Warm growing epiphyte, prefers light position.

Flowering time in the wild:

Probably throughout the year.

Literature:

Cribb, P.J. 1986. Kew Bull. 41: 660, fig. 10C, D, pl. 10E, 11B, map 4.
Lewis, B. & P.J. Cribb. 1991. Orchids of the Solomon Islands and Bougainville: 209, pl. 8E.
O'Byrne, P. 1994. Lowland Orchids of Papua New Guinea: 252, fig.
Schlechter, R. 1912. Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1: 547.

Notes:

Dendrobium sylvanum is similar to Dendrobium lineale and to Dendrobium gouldii in having spathulate petals and a lip with an undulate margined midlobe bearing three lamellate callus ridges on its basal half. It differs, however, in having a dense inflorescence of many golden-brown, ochre or yellow flowers and a narrow lip usually one cm or less broad.
(after Cribb, 1986).