A close up of the flowers
 - Kath Barrett.jpg)
The flowers (pale flowered form)
 - Kath Barrett.jpg)
The flowers (dark flowered form)
The whole plant in-situ
Synonyms
None
Origin in the Wild
Sabah
Elevation in the Wild
2700-2800 metres
Habitat in the Wild
This species is endemic to Mount Kinabalu. Collections have been made near Kinabalu Lipson on the summit trail, on the northern ridge adjacent to Low’s gully and along the trail that leads to Melangkap Tomis.
Jeffrey Wood described the habitat as upper montane scrub forest on ultramafic substrate.
The Plants Description
The pseudobulbs cluster on a short rhizome. The pseudobulbs are coloured red and are shaped ovoid. The pseudobulbs measure 1-2cm long and 0.6-1cm in diameter. The pseudobulbs are covered by 3 cataphylls while they are growing. The cataphylls disintegrate into non-persistent fibres as the pseudobulbs mature. The leaves are petiolate; the petiole measures 1.0-1.5cm long. The leaf blades are shaped linear-lanceolate and have obtuse to mucronate apices. The leaf blades measure 4-9.5cm long and 0.8-1.2cm wide. The leaves have five distinct nerves.
The Inflorescence
The peduncle is erect to pendent and measures 3.5-6cm long. The rachis is pendent and measures 6-6.5cm long. The rachis is quadrangular in cross-section. The flowers alternate distichously and are spaced 5mm apart. There is one non-floriferous bract at the base of the rachis.
The Flowers
Jeffrey wood wrote that between 14 and 17 flowers grow on an inflorescence. The flower is either salmon-pink or lemon-yellow with a bright orange column, chestnut-brown or orange labellum and yellow calli (Wood 2001). The dorsal sepal is shaped ovate and has an acute apex that is slightly concave. The dorsal sepal measures 4-6mm long and 1.5-3mm wide. The dorsal sepal has an entire margin and is three veined. The lateral sepals are shaped lanceolate to ovate and have acute apices that are slightly concave. The lateral sepals measure 3.5-6mm long and 1.5-3mm wide. The laterals have entire margins and are three veined. The petals are shaped oblanceolate to ligulate and have obtuse apices. The petals twist 90 degrees from vertical. The petals measure 3-5.5mm long and 1-2.5mm wide. The petals have entire margins and are three veined. The labellum is entire and shaped nearly circular or cordate with a shortly apiculate, sometimes cymbiform apex. The labellum’s margin is entire and slightly recurved, the basal margin is convex. There is a horseshoe shaped callus that is actually two shortly raised keels; the keels run nearly half the length of the labellum, touch but are not joined at the base. The column measures 1-1.5mm long and is slightly hooded. The stelidia grow from the base of the column and measure 1.0x0.3mm long. The stelidia do not exceed the column apex.
Herbarium Specimens
Holotype
Sabah Parks Herbarium
Isotype
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K)
Specimen K000078223 (photo)
Other herbarium specimens
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K)
Scent
I could find no record.
Flowering Season
Flowering plants have been collected in the wild during April and May.
Culture
I do not think this species is in cultivation
Similar Species
Dendrochilum alpinum
Dendrochilum scriptum
Dendrochilum alatum
Other Information
Jeffrey Wood wrote that this species grows sympatrically with 5 other Dendrochilum species on Mount Kinabalu.
The plant is similar to Dendrochilum scriptum and the flowers look similar to Dendrochilum alpinum and Dendrochilum alatum because of their 90 degree angled petals.
Reference –
WOOD, Jeffrey. Dendrochilum of Borneo, 2001. Natural History Publications (Borneo), Malaysia.
World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. 07 March 2009. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet; http://www.kew.org/wcsp/ accessed 07 March 2009.