Synonyms
None
There is a plant labelled as the holotype of Acoridium angustifolium in the AMES herbarium, this plant was examined by Henrik Pedersen and considered to be Dendrochilum stenophyllum.
Origin in the Wild
Luzon
Elevation in the Wild
1,000 metres
Habitat in the Wild
This species has been collected in Rizal Province at Montalban
The Plants Description
This Dendrochilum is tufted and grass-like. The pseudobulbs cluster together on a short rhizome and are shaped terete to semifusiform. The pseudobulbs measure 1.8-2.8cm long and 0.2cm in diameter. The pseudobulbs are covered by 4-5 cataphylls while they are growing. The cataphylls disintegrate into persistent fibres as the pseudobulbs mature. The leaves are not truly petiolate. The leaf blades are dorsiventrally complanate, shaped narrowly linear and have acute apices. The leaf blades measure 18-22.4cm long and 0.2-0.3cm wide. The leaves have 1-3 distinct nerves, the two lateral nerves, if present are 0.5mm from the margin.
The Inflorescence
The peduncle is enclosed for ¼ to ½ of its length by the subtending leaf and appears to emerge from its distal section. The peduncle measures 7.8-17.4cm long. The rachis is nodding to pendent and measures 2.9-6.1cm long. The flowers alternate distichously and are spaced 1.5mm apart. There are 3-6 appressed non-floriferous bracts at the base of the rachis. The flowers open from the proximal section of the rachis.
The Flowers
The flowers are white; the mid-lobe of the labellum is green. Up to 40 flowers grow on an inflorescence (Cootes 2001). The dorsal sepal is shaped lanceolate-oblong and has an acuminate to acute apex. The dorsal sepal measures 2.5-3.2mm long and 0.7-0.9mm wide. The dorsal sepal has an entire margin, is three veined and glabrous. The lateral sepals are shaped obliquely lanceolate-triangular and have acuminate apices. The lateral sepals measure 2.5-3.3mm long and 0.9-1.1mm wide. The lateral sepals have entire margins are three veined and glabrous. The petals are shaped narrowly to obliquely obovate and have acuminate apices. The petals measure 2.3-2.9mm long and 1.0-1.1mm wide. The petals have entire margins are three veined and glabrous. The labellum is porrect, 3-lobed and obscurely three veined. The side lobes are erect, shaped broadly crescent-shaped and have obtuse to subacute apices. The side lobes are subequal to the mid-lobe. The mid lobe is shaped broadly oblong to suborbicular and have a subacuminate-obtuse apex, apiculate in its centre. The margins on the labellum are entire, the labellum appears slightly concave. There are two lateral calli located at the base of each side lobe. The median callus is small and located at the proximal centre of the disc. The column is suberect, slightly incurved and measures 0.4-0.5mm long; the column is hooded at its apex. The anther cap is ovate in outline and looks obtuse from its front.
Herbarium Specimens
Holotype
AMES
Specimen 26 (photo) (Acoridium angustifolium)
Isotype
PHN – Destroyed
Other herbarium specimens
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K)
AMES
Specimen 41 (photo) (Acoridium angustifolium)
Scent
I could find no record of a scent and I have never detected a scent on this species.
Flowering Season
Flowering plants have been collected in the wild during September. In northern hemisphere cultivation this species flowers during the winter and spring.
Culture
This species is commonly found in private collections worldwide. I have seen plants in the USA, the European Union and Australia.
Similar Species
Dendrochilum graminifolium
Dendrochilum perplexum var. montanum
Dendrochilum perplexum var. perplexum
Dendrochilum louisianum (see this page for differences)
Other Information
This species was originally described by Oakes Ames as Acoridium angustifolium. L.O Williams transferred it to Dendrochilum and changed the name in consideration of the earlier described Dendrochilum angustifolium from Borneo.
Reference –
COOTES, Jim. The Orchids of the Philippines, 2001. Timber Press, USA
PEDERSEN, Henrik. 1997, The Genus Dendrochilum (Orchidaceae) in the Philippines – A Taxonomic Revision. Opera Botanica, Denmark
WOOD, Jeffrey. Dendrochilum of Borneo, 2001. Natural History Publications (Borneo), Malaysia.
World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. 15 January 2009. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet; http://www.kew.org/wcsp/ accessed 15 January 2009.