Prev Taxon: Genus Dendrobium section Rhizobium
Current Genus: Genus Dendrobium section Spatulata
Next Taxon: Genus Dendrochilum
Dendrobium sylvanum Rchb.f., Linnaea 41 (1877) 91.
Type: Vieillard 1304 (holo W) (OR
Synonyms:
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).
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.
Epiphyte in coastal and swamp forest as well as rainforest. Altitude 0-80 m.
New Guinea, Bismarck Archipelago (New Ireland), Solomon Islands, ?New Caledonia.
Warm growing epiphyte, prefers light position.
Probably throughout the year.
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).
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