Dendrobium smillieae F.Muell.

"Dendrobium smillieae F.Muell. is found in Northeast Australia, from the Burdekin River to the tip of Cape York Peninsula, Torres Strait and throughout New Guinea. In Australia, this species lives at altitudes up to 650 m altitude. This species usually grows in the lowlands, but is also commonly found in the lower mountains"

 Dendrobium smillieae F.Muell., Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae (1868).

Dendrobium smillieae F.Muell., Photo by Geeta Bali

Family:

Orchidaceae.

Synonym Name: 

Callista ophioglossa (Rchb.f.) Kuntze

Callista smillieae (F.Muell.) Kuntze

Coelandria smillieae (F.Muell.) Fitzg.

Dendrobium hollrungii Kraenzl.

Dendrobium hollrungii var. australiense Rendle

Dendrobium kaernbachii Kraenzl.

Dendrobium ophioglossum Rchb.f.

Dendrobium smillieae var. ophioglossum (Rchb.f.) F.M.Bailey

Pedilonum hollrungii (Kraenzl.) Rauschert

Pedilonum ophioglossum (Rchb.f.) Brieger

Pedilonum smillieae (F.Muell.) Rauschert

English Name:

Smillie's Dendrobium (Female Orchid Enthusiast Australia 1800's)

Australia name: 

The Bottlebrush Orchid

Description: 

Growing epiphyte with slender, fusiform, leafy throughout, sulcate with age stems enveloped by thin, scarious sheaths and carrying oblong or lanceolate, very thin, twisted or curved, acute leaves that blooms in the winter and spring on an erect, 4 to 12.5 cm, densely many flowered raceme that arise from near the apex of the leafless cane, carrying stiff, thick, waxy and fleshy, tubular flowers held in a ball.

Distribution:

Bismarck Archipelago, New Guinea, Queensland.

Ecological:

Growing on tree limbs, trunks, tree crooks where leaves have accumulated to form soil and on rocks in lowland open forests near the edge of rainforests at elevations under 650 m.

Flowering times:

Blooms in the spring.

Flower size:

1.7 cm

Cultivation:

Plant requires warm temperatures and medium amounts of light. Keep plant moist and fertilize during growth season. During winter keep plant dry and withhold water until new shoots appear. Grow in a well drain mix of sphagnum moss or medium fir bark.

Type:

Nov 1, 1995 Moseley, H.N. [s.n.], Australia   K001085322 lectotype

Nov 1, 1995 Dallachy, J. [s.n.], Australia   K001085320 holotype

Nov 1, 1995 s.coll. [s.n.], Queensland  K001085319 holotype

Sep 1, 1995 Hollrung, M.U. [699], New Guinea Dendrobium hollrungii K001085368 lectotype

Ref:

orchidspecies.com

ipni.org

powo.science.kew.org 

orchids.fandom.com