Dendrobium gjellerupii J.J.Smith
Neville H.S. Howcroft

DESCRIPTION: Dendrobium gjellerupii J.J. Sm. in Bull. Dep. Agric. neerl. n. XLV (1911), 4.; in Nov. Guin. VIII, t LXXXIV. (1911).

Plant epiphytic, stems elongated, compressed, flexing in an upward direction, flattened out and slightly dilating, lower transverse section elliptic, c. 63 cm long, 0.275 0 0.5 cm wide, internodes c. 5 - 2.2 cm long. Leaves patent, lanceolate, apices obliquely slightly unequally and rotundly bilobed, base narrow, conduplicate and clasping stem, verruculose on the upper surface, c. 7.5 - 9.75 cm long, 2 - 2.6 cm wide, sheath tubular exceedingly compressed, transversely exceedingly rugose, internodes short, upwards c. 0.6 - 0.6 cm broad, apical appendage large, erect, adpressed to stem and semi-amplexicaul, broadly oblong-triangular, keeled and verrucose to rugose c. 1 - 1.15 cm long, disintergrating with age. Inflorescence located on the nodes of the stem, short, 2-flowered, peduncle ca. 0.17 cm long, enclosed by basal scales, laterally compressed, obtusely verrucose. Flowers medium size. Dorsal sepal sublinear, narrower at apex, concave, dorsally verrucose especially fleshy above, c. 7-nerved, c. 2 cm long, at base 0.475 cm wide. Lateral sepal forming an obtusely subretuse broad mentum with the column foot, c. 0.5 cm long, dilated and triangular at base sublinear, falcate, thickened above, narrow and blunt, concave, dorsally verrucose, above the base c. 8-nerves c. 1.65 cm long, at base 0.8 cm wide. Petal linear, slightly falcate, thickened above, subulate at apex, acute concave, 3-nerved, c. 1.67 cm long, 0.175 cm wide. Labellum strongly recurved, concaved, subtrilobed, internally covered with long hairs and provided with a strong longitudinal undivided upright bare mid-rib, terminating with a shaggy cushion and scale-like ridges (muricate) between apices, cuneate and truncate at base when flattened, apically lacerate and apical lobe triangular, acute acuminate, c. 0.95 cm long, 0.7 cm wide, the apically free part of the lateral lobes erect, weakly triangular, acute. Column upright, c. 0.375 cm long, auricles broadly triangular and denticulate. Anther hood shaped, transversal oval, apically truncate and slight erose, convex in front, c. 0.25 cm wide. Pollinia 4, oblong, laterally compressed, convexed on top, interior narrow. Stigma suborbicular. Foot of column forming an angle with column, straight, apex extremely incurved, slightly excavated, slightly thickened at base with thickened subcallosities (almost?), c. 0.525 cm long, 0.275 cm wide. Ovary short, obconic, densely verrucose, with verrucose pedicel c. 0.5 cm long. Colour description is provided in notes below.

DISTRIBUTION: Irian Jaya to Milne Bay in Papua New Guinea

LOCATION/HABITAT: Coastal epiphyte, Kairuru island and adjacent islands.

SPECIMEN EXAMINED: Dendrobium gjellerupii J.J.Smith
drawn by Neville H.S. Howcroft from specimen in cultivation at Lae Botanic Gardens, without number.

CONSERVATION STATUS: There is not much information on this species. From collectors' information it appears to be common where it is found.

CULTIVATION: The species may grow partly erect when young but becomes pendant as the stems elongate. It can be cultivated in pots using coarse gravel mixed with tree fern and bark pieces. The specimen in the gardens are growing on tree fern slabs. Some will be transferred to trees in the near future. Light to full shade and protection from dry winds is essential. Watering is necessary during dry periods. Light fertilizer applications are best given once a fortnight depending on the weather conditions.

NOTES: Type specimen (Gjellerup n. 309) was collected near the coast at Hollandia (now Jayapura ed.) in Irian Jaya (then Dutch New Guinea) off trees at 50 m above sealevel. Flowering was recorded in August 1910. The flowers are greenish yellow with half the length of each segment a light brown towards the apex, the labellum is greenish yellow, the margins of the lateral lobes are maroon. The column is greenish yellow with maroon markings on the foot and around the margin of the cliandrium and stigma. No perfume has been detected.

The PNG specimens have flowered in July and August in the Botanic Gardens at Lae and lasted no more than two days before folding up and dying. The species is very closely related to the Australian D. cancroidesand similar in colour. The foliage and flower characters of the two need to be compared more closely.