Platyclinis globigera Ridl., J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 31: 266 (1896).
Acoridium globigerum (Ridl.) Rolfe, Orchid Rev. 12: 220 (1904).
Platyclinis minima Ridl., J. Straits Branch Roy. Asiat. Soc. 49: 30 (1908).
Platyclinis minor Ridl., J. Straits Branch Roy. Asiat. Soc. 49: 30 (1908).
Dendrochilum minimum (Ridl.) Merr., J. Straits Branch Roy. Asiat. Soc., Spec. No.: 148 (1921).
Dendrochilum minus (Ridl.) Merr., J. Straits Branch Roy. Asiat. Soc., Spec. No.: 148 (1921).
Origin in the Wild
Elevation in the Wild
Habitat in the Wild
Within Sarawak specimens have been collected on Mount Serapi, Mount Santubong, Mount Matang, Mount Penrissen, Mount Raya and in the Sri Aman District at Tiang Laju Undup.
The habitat has been described as Hill and lower montane forest often on sandstone substrate. This species has also been found in low cloud forest where it has been seen on mossy rocks, at the base of small shrubs, on tree branches and tree trunks. This species is common along ridges (Wood 2001).
The Plants Description
The pseudobulbs cluster on a rhizome that can reach a length of 10cm. The pseudobulbs are shaped ovoid or oblong-ovoid. The pseudobulbs measure 0.5-1.5cm long and 0.6-0.8cm 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 0.7-2.5cm long. The leaf blades are shaped narrowly elliptic and have obtuse apices. The leaf blades measure 3.0-9.0cm long and 0.6-1.5cm wide. The leaves are constricted below the apex, thin textured and have 5 distinct nerves.
The peduncle is erect and measures 3.5-10.0cm long. The rachis is quadrangular in cross section, pale orange, gently curved and measures 2.0-5.0cm long. The flowers alternate distichously and are spaced 2.0-3.0mm apart. There is one appressed non-floriferous bract at the base of the rachis.
Between 8 and 20 flowers grow on an inflorescence (Wood 2001). The sepals and petals are a creamy white colour; the labellum is brown with a whitish base and margins. The anther cap and column apex are brown. The dorsal sepal is carinate, shaped narrowly-elliptic and has an acuminate apex. The dorsal sepal measures 5.0-6.0mm long and 1.0-1.5mm wide. The dorsal sepal is three veined and has an entire margin. The lateral sepals are carinate, shaped narrowly elliptic and have acuminate apices. The lateral sepals measure 6.0mm long and 1.1-1.5mm wide. The lateral sepals are three veined and have entire margins. The petals are shaped oblong-elliptic or subspathulate and have obtuse apices. The petals measure 2.4-2.5mm long and 1.0mm wide. The petals are one veined; rarely two veined and have entire margins. The labellum is narrowly clawed, porrect, decurved, 3 veined and entire. The labellum measures 2.7-2.8mm long and 1.0-1.5mm wide. The labellum has entire margins. The labellum is shaped oblong to subpandurate and has an obtuse apex. There are three low keels that terminate just over half way along the length of the labellum. The column is gently curved and measures 1.8-2.0mm long. The column foot is prominent. The apical hood is shaped ovate and has an obtuse apex with a denticulate margin. The stelidia grow upwards from the middle of the column and are slightly shorter than the column apex. The stelidia are shaped falcate and have triangular-acuminate apices.
Royal Botanic Gardens Kew (K)
Royal Botanic gardens Kew (K)
Other herbarium specimens
National Herbarium Netherlands, Leiden (L)
Royal Botanic Gardens Kew (K)
Yes, a sweet fragrance.
Flowering plants have been collected in the wild during February, March, April, May, June and November. The collections indicate that it is most often seen in flower from March to May.
I do not think this species is in cultivation
The epithet refers to the pseudobulbs.
BEAMAN, Teofila, WOOD, Jeffrey, BEAMAN, Reed, BEAMAN, John. 2001, Orchids of Sarawak, Natural History Publications Borneo, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.
WOOD, Jeffrey. Dendrochilum of Borneo, 2001. Natural History Publications (Borneo), Malaysia.
World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. 24 July 2009. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet; http://www.kew.org/wcsp/ accessed 24 July 2009.