Native damsel orchid
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Epidendroideae
Genus: Dendrobium
Species:
D. fellowsii
Binomial name
Dendrobium fellowsii
Synonyms[1]

Dendrobium fellowsii, commonly known as the native damsel orchid,[2] is an epiphytic or lithophytic orchid in the family Orchidaceae and has upright pseudobulbs, up to five leaves and groups of up to five pale green or yellowish flowers with a deep purple labellum. It grows in tropical North Queensland.

Description

Dendrobium fellowsii is an epiphytic or lithophytic herb that has upright, cylindrical dark purplish pseudobulbs 50–250 mm (2–10 in) long and 6–10 mm (0.2–0.4 in) wide.

There are between two and five dark green leaves 15–100 mm (0.6–4 in) long and 15–20 mm (0.6–0.8 in) wide. The flowering stems are 40–80 mm (2–3 in) long and bear between two and seven resupinate, pale green or yellowish flowers 15–20 mm (0.59–0.79 in) long and 20–25 mm (0.8–1 in) wide. The dorsal sepal is egg-shaped, 6–10 mm (0.24–0.39 in) long and about 5 mm (0.20 in) wide.

The lateral sepals are triangular, 8–12 mm (0.31–0.47 in) long, about 5 mm (0.20 in) wide and spread widely apart from each other. The petals are narrow egg-shaped, 5–8 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long and about 3 mm (0.12 in) wide. The labellum is deep purple, about 10 mm (0.4 in) long and 7 mm (0.3 in) wide with three lobes. The side lobes are relatively large and curve upwards and the middle lobe is broad with two parallel ridges. Flowering occurs from October to January.[2][3]

Taxonomy and naming

Dendrobium fellowsii was first formally described in 1870 by Ferdinand von Mueller from a specimen collected near Rockingham Bay by John Dallachy. The description was published in Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae[4][5] and the specific epithet (fellowsii) honours Thomas Howard Fellows.[5]

Distribution and habitat

The native damsel orchid grows on trees or shrubs with stringy or flaky bark, in deep gullies or around the edges of large granite sheets in rainforest between the Mount Finnigan in the Cedar Bay National Park and Townsville in Queensland and in New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.[2][3]

Conservation

This orchid is classed as "vulnerable" under the Queensland Government Nature Conservation Act 1992.[6]

References

  1. 1 2 "Dendrobium fellowsii". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  2. 1 2 3 Jones, David L. (2006). A complete guide to native orchids of Australia including the island territories. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: New Holland. p. 396. ISBN 1877069124.
  3. 1 2 D.L.Jones; T.Hopley; S.M.Duffy (2010). "Factsheet - Eleutheroglossum fellowsii". Australian Tropical Rainforest Orchids. Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research (CANBR), Australian Government. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  4. ↑ "Dendrobium fellowsii". APNI. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  5. 1 2 von Mueller, Ferdinand (1870). Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae (Volume 7). Vol. 7. Melbourne: Victorian Government Printer. pp. 63–64. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  6. ↑ "Nature Conservation (Wildlife) Regulation 2006". Queensland Government. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
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