Synonyms
Pholidota gracilis L.O.Williams, Bot. Mus. Leafl. 6: 59 (1938), nom. illeg.
Origin in the Wild
Sarawak
Elevation in the Wild
900 metres
Habitat in the Wild
This species is endemic to Mount Temabok in the Tama Abu Range and Upper Baram Valley in the Marudi District
The Plants Description
The pseudobulbs are shaped cylindrical to oblong-ovoid. The pseudobulbs measure 1.2cm long and 0.4-0.5cm in diameter. The pseudobulbs are covered by 3 cataphylls while they are growing. The cataphylls disintegrate into persistent fibres as the pseudobulbs mature. The leaves are petiolate; the petiole measures 1.7-4.5cm long. The leaf blades are shaped linear-ligulate and have acute or acuminate apices. The leaf blades measure 17-25cm long and 0.8-1.0cm wide. The leaves have 4-5 distinct nerves.
The Inflorescence
The peduncle is erect and measures 18-25cm long. The rachis measures 4-6cm long. The rachis is quadrangular in cross-section. The flowers alternate distichously and are spaced 2.5-3.5mm apart. There are 2 non-floriferous bracts at the base of the rachis.
The Flowers
Jeffrey Wood wrote that between 10 and 18 flowers grow on the inflorescence (Wood 2001). The sepals and petals are widely spreading and concave. The dorsal sepal is shaped broadly elliptic and has an acute to shortly acuminate apex. The dorsal sepal measures 4mm long and 2mm wide. The dorsal sepal has an entire margin and is three veined. The lateral sepals are shaped elliptic, slightly oblique and have acuminate apices. The lateral sepals measure 5mm long and 2-2.5mm wide. The lateral sepals have entire margins and are three veined. The petals are shaped oblong-elliptic or lanceolate-rhomboid and have acute or shortly acuminate apices. The petals measure 4mm long and 1.5mm wide. The petals have entire margins and are three veined. The labellum is 3-lobed and has a saccate hypochile. The side lobes are erect, shaped oblong and have truncate apices. The mid-lobe is shaped broadly lanceolate and has a narrowly acute apex. The mid-lobe is strongly recurved. The labellum has entire margins and is three veined. There are two prominent mammose calli between the hypochile and epichile. The column is gently curved and measures 2mm long. The apical hood is ovate and has an acute apex; the apical hood has an entire margin that is slightly recurved. The stelidia grow from the middle of the column and are shaped oblong-triangular with bifid apices.
Herbarium Specimens
Holotype
AMES
Specimen 45021 (photo)
Isotype
SING
Other herbarium specimens
Royal Botanic Gardens Kew (K)
Specimen K000078270 (drawing)
Scent
I could find no record.
Flowering Season
The single wild collection of a flowering plant was during November.
Culture
I do not think this species is in cultivation
Similar Species
Dendrochilum rufum (please visit this page for differences)
Dendrochilum kingii
Other Information
L.O. Williams described this species as a Pholidota. When Ed de Vogel wrote the monograph he added this species as a dubious one. Jeffrey Wood added this plant to Dendrochilum in 1997 because the stelidia resemble those of others in section Mammosa.
The epithet refers to the shape of the hypochile.
Reference –
BEAMAN, Teofila, WOOD, Jeffrey, BEAMAN, Reed, BEAMAN, John. 2001, Orchids of Sarawak, Natural History Publications Borneo, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.
WOOD, Jeffrey. Dendrochilum of Borneo, 2001. Natural History Publications (Borneo), Malaysia.
World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. 29 March 2009. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet; http://www.kew.org/wcsp/ accessed 29 March 2009.