Dendrobium bowmanii Benth.

 Dendrobium bowmanii Benth., Fl. Austral. 6: 286 (1873).

Dendrobium bowmanii Benth., Photos by Torsten Kleffmann

its native range is E. Australia, New Caledonia

Synonyms:

Aporum chalandei (Finet) Rauschert

Dendrobium chalandei (Finet) Kraenzl.

Dockrillia bowmanii (Benth.) M.A.Clem. & D.L.Jones

English name:

Bowman's Dockrillia

Australia name:

Straggly Pencil Orchid

Description:

It is an epiphytic or lithophytic herb that has thin, wiry, straggly, spreading or pendent stems up to 600 mm (20 in) long and about 4 mm (0.2 in) wide with a few branches. The leaves are cylindrical, dark green, 50–150 mm (2–6 in) long and about 4 mm (0.2 in) wide. The flowering stems are 20–80 mm (0.8–3 in) long and bear between up to four greenish yellow to pale brown flowers 16–22 mm (0.6–0.9 in) long and 20–25 mm (0.8–1 in) wide with a few reddish streaks. The sepals and petals spread apart from each other, the sepals 9–12 mm (0.35–0.47 in) long and 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) wide, the petals a similar length but narrower. The labellum is white, about 20 mm (0.8 in) long and 6 mm (0.2 in) wide with three lobes. The side lobes are erect and the middle lobe turns downward and has wavy edges and three ridges along the midline. Flowering occurs throughout the year with flushes from August to November and February to June

Flower Size:

2.5 cm.

Distribution:

New Caledonia, New South Wales, Queensland.

Ecological:

In dry open areas or on the coastal plains near creeks and mangrove swamps at elevations of sealevel to 200 m.

Flowering time:

Bloom season is from late winter to spring.

Culture:

Light:

Bright; 2500-3500 Footcandles (very bright indirect light)

Temperature:

Warm,Intermediate to Cool;45°F min. to 98°F max.(tolerant of extremes,favoring warm).

Watering:

Moist/Dry; 2-4 waterings per week(let dry between waterings)

Type:

Cunningham, A. [276], New South Wales K001085413 syntype

Bowman, E.M. [s.n.], Australia K001085415 syntype