The Inflorescence
A close up of the flower
Synonyms
None
Origin in the Wild
Sabah
Elevation in the Wild
2,133-2,800 metres
Habitat in the Wild
This species is endemic to Mount Kinabalu. Collections have been made on the Maria Parai Spur.
Jeffrey Wood described the plants habit as a twig epiphyte and the habitat as upper montane mossy forest on both ultramafic and non-ultramafic substrate.
The Plants Description
The pseudobulbs cluster along shortly creeping rhizomes that measure up to 6cm long. The pseudobulbs are coloured green suffused with red and are shaped narrowly cylindrical. The pseudobulbs measure 2.5-4.5cm long and 0.5-0.7cm in diameter. The pseudobulbs are covered by 3-4 cataphylls while they are growing. The cataphylls disintegrate into persistent fibres as the pseudobulbs mature. The leaves are petiolate; the petiole measures 1.5-4cm long. The leaf blades are shaped linear-lanceolate or linear-oblanceolate and have acute, shortly cuspidate apices. The leaf blades measure 9-23cm long and 0.6-1.2cm wide. The leaves have five distinct nerves.
The Inflorescence
The peduncle is erect to curved and measures 13-20cm long. The rachis is curved to pendent and measures 7-9cm long. The rachis is quadrangular in cross-section. The flowers alternate distichously and are spaced 2-3mm apart. There are 1-2 non-floriferous bracts at the base of the rachis.
The Flowers
The sepals and petals are either a rose-pink or salmon-pink colour. The labellum is deep ochre with a darker apex and margins. The column is pinkish-brown, the stelidia are ochre with darker tips. Sometimes the flowers are orange-yellow. The dorsal sepal is shaped ovate-elliptic and has an acute apex. The dorsal sepal measures 4.7-5mm long and 2.1mm wide. The dorsal sepal has an entire margin and is three veined. The lateral sepals are shaped obliquely ovate-elliptic and have acute apices. The lateral sepals measure 4.5-4.7mm long and 2-2.5mm wide. The lateral sepals have entire margins and are three veined. The petals are shaped oblong-elliptic and have acute apices. The petals measure 4.5-5mm long and 1.6-1.7mm wide. The petals have entire margins and are three veined. The petals can be twisted at 90 degrees from vertical. The labellum is entire, shaped transversely oblong and has a subapiculate apex that is recurved. The margin is recurved near basally and is minutely erose. The labellum measures 2.6-3mm long and 4-4.4mm wide. There is one raised horseshoe shaped keel that runs most of the length of the labellum. The column measures 1mm long. The apical hood is 3-lobed or entire. The stelidia grow from the base of the column, are shaped oblong and have obtuse apices. The stelidia measure 1.1-1.2mm long and exceed the column apex.
Herbarium Specimens
Holotype
SING
Isotype
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K)
Specimen K000078238 (drawing)
Specimen K000078236 (photo)
Specimen K000078237 (drawing)
AMES
Specimen 98810 (photo)
LAE
Other herbarium specimens
National Herbarium Netherlands (L)
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K)
Sabah Parks Herbarium
BM
HBG
Scent
I could find no record.
Flowering Season
Flowering plants is the wild have been collected during February and May.
Culture
I do not think this species is in cultivation
Similar Species
NA
Other Information
The epithet refers to the transversely oblong labellum.
Reference –
WOOD, Jeffrey. Dendrochilum of Borneo, 2001. Natural History Publications (Borneo), Malaysia.
WOOD, Jeffrey. 2003, Orchids of Borneo volume 4. The Sabah Society, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.
World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. 08 March 2009. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet; http://www.kew.org/wcsp/ accessed 08 March 2009.