Synonyms
Acoridium hastatum (Ames) Ames, Orchidaceae 7: 80 (1922).
Origin in the Wild
Mindoro and Visayas Antique
Elevation in the Wild
1,440-2,072 metres
Habitat in the Wild
So far this species has only been collected on Mount Halcon on Mindoro and on Mount Madia-as on Visayas Antique. E.D. Merrill's notes stated that this species was found growing as a terrestrial and on the bases of trees. This species is also found as an epiphyte in ridge forest.
The Plants Description
The pseudobulbs cluster and are spaced up to 1cm apart on a slightly elongate rhizome. The pseudobulbs are shaped fusiform. The pseudobulbs measure 0.5-1.2cm long and 0.2-0.3cm in diameter. The pseudobulbs are covered by c5 cataphylls while they are growing. The cataphylls soon disintegrate into persistent fibres as the pseudobulbs mature. The leaves are petiolate; the petiole measures 0.9-1.9cm long. The leaf blades are convolute, shaped oblanceolate to elliptic and have obtuse apices. The leaf blades distinctly narrow 1/5 or 1/7 from the apex. The leaf blades measure 2.6-6.0cm long and 0.7-1.5cm wide. The leaves are thin textured and have 3 distinct nerves on the blade.
The Inflorescence
The inflorescence is synanthous. The peduncle is suberect to somewhat curved and measures 2.0-7.6cm long. The rachis is nodding to pendent and measures 1.2-2.5cm long. The flowers alternate distichously and are spaced 2-3mm apart. There is one appressed non-floriferous bract at the base of the rachis. The flowers open from the distal section of the rachis.
The Flowers
Ames described the flower colour as pale purplish (Ames 1908). Henrik Pedersen wrote that between 5 and 11 flowers grow on an inflorescence (Pedersen 1997). The sepals and petals spread widely. The dorsal sepal is shaped broadly lanceolate and has an acuminate apex. The dorsal sepal measures 2.9-3.4mm long and 1.0-1.2mm wide. The dorsal sepal is three veined and has an entire margin. The lateral sepals are shaped broadly lanceolate and have acuminate apices. The lateral sepals measure 2.8-3.3mm long and 1.2-1.4mm wide. The lateral sepals are three veined and have entire margins. The petals are shaped linear and have acute apices. The petals measure 2.2-2.7mm long and 0.5-0.6mm wide. The petals are three veined and have entire margins. The labellum is pendent and 3-lobed. The labellum measures 1.9-2.5mm long and 1.9-2.5mm wide. The labellum is 3-veined and has entire margins. The side lobes spread widely; are shaped triangular and have acute apices. The side lobes are distinctly shorter than the mid-lobe. The mid-lobe is large, shaped oblong and has an acute apex that is recurved. There are no ornaments on the labellum. The column is straight to somewhat incurved and measures 0.8-1.0mm long. The column apex is smooth, distally prolonged, entire and rounded. The column apex slightly exceeds the anther cap. Stelidia and column foot are absent.
Herbarium Specimens
Lectotype
AMES
Specimen 1028 (photo)
Syntype
AMES
Specimen 34 (photo)
Isotype
BO
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K)
I could not locate the specimen
SING
US
Scent
I could find no record.
Flowering Season
Flowering plants have been collected in the wild during April, June and November.
Culture
I do not think this species is in cultivation
Similar Species
Dendrochilum merapiense
Other Information
Ames wrote that this species differs from all others described in the Philippines because of its hastate labellum (Ames 1908).
L.O. Williams placed this species in subgenus Acoridium. Henrik Pedersen (1997) placed it in subgenus Platyclinis. This species has a column apex that is dilated rather than prolonged beyond the anther cap; Pedersen wrote that this species is better placed in subgenus Platyclinis.
Pedersen suggested that this species looks similar to Dendrochilum merapiense from Sumatra on account of the outline of the labellum; however Dendrochilum merapiense's column has a different morphology (Pedersen 1997).
Reference -
AMES, Oakes. 1907, Orchidaceae Halconenses: An Enumeration of the Orchids Collected on and Near Mount Halcon, Mindoro, Chiefly By E.D. Merrill, Bureau of Printing, Manila.
AMES, Oakes. 1908, Illustrations and studies of the Family Orchidaceae Facsimile 2, Ames Botanical Laboratory, North Easton, Massachusetts, Boston.
PEDERSEN, Henrik. 1997, The Genus Dendrochilum (Orchidaceae) in the Philippines - A Taxonomic Revision. Opera Botanica, Denmark
World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. 17 January 2009. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet; http://www.kew.org/wcsp/ accessed 17 January 2009.