Dendrolirium (Blume) Lindl., J. Proc. Linn. Soc. 3: 46 (1859).
By: Devendra M. Bajracharya
Taxon Description
Plants epiphytic, lithophytic, or rarely terrestrial herbs. Stems usually pseudobulbous from a creeping rhizome, large, ovoid, bilaterally compressed, distant, with few internodes and with a few leaves toward apex. Leaves 2-many, distichous, narrowly elliptic, coriaceous, near the apex. Inflorescences lateral or subterminal, arising from pseudobulb base, woolly-tomentose, with a few woolly medium-sized flowers, peduncle glabrous to densely pubescent. Flowers 5-15 flowered, tomentose, usually brownish or greenish yellow, pedicel plus ovary white tomentose. Sepals unequal, densely woolly outside, base attached to column foot to form an obliquely conic mentum. Petals free, lanceolate to oblanceolate, shorter and smaller than sepals. Lip 3-lobed, with thickened callus on the disc at mid-lobe, fleshy band from base to apex. Column short, erect, stout, slightly bent forwards, foot incurved, obtusely angled with column, wooly tomentose below, pollinia 8, laterally compressed, clavate, attached to lamellae of caudicles at base. Capsule linear-oblong, apically with persistent column and foot.
Taxon Statistics
Worldwide about 12 species, distributed in E. Himalaya, China, and SE Asia. Two species in Nepal
Key to Species
1a Floral bract ±20 mm. Mid-lobe of lip oblong, acute ——————————————–.1 D. lasiopetalsum
b Floral bract ±40 mm. Mid-lobe of lip rectangular, emarginate ———————————–2. D. nepalensis
1. Dendrolirium lasiopetalsum (Willd.) S.C.Chen & J.J.Wood, Wu, eds. Flora of China. Vol. 25: 351 (2009).
Aerides lasiopetalsa Willd. Sp. Pl. ed. 4(1): 130 (1805); Eria lasiopetalsa (Willd.) Ormerod; Dendrobium pubescens Hook.
Plants epiphytic, 15–22 cm tall. Rhizomes creeping, cylindrical, woody, 4-6 mm thick, gradually thickened towards the base of pseudobulbs, sheathed; sheaths 0.8 – 1.5 cm long, tubular. Leaves 3–5, elliptic to oblong-lanceolate, 7–16.5 x 2–5 cm, acute or acuminate, entire, coriaceous, petiole grooved, 1–3.5 cm. Inflorescence solitary or 2(or 3), arising from base of mature pseudobulbs, 10–20 cm, 4–18-flowered, densely white tomentose, peduncles 2-5 cm long, sheathed at base. rachis ca. 15 cm long. Floral bract ovate-lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, 12–15 x 5–7 mm, membranous, shorter than flower, acuminate, chocolate-brown, white-tomentose externally, glabrous inside. Flower green to yellow, 1–1.5 cm, 3–4 cm across, white tomentose, pedicel and ovary 1.5–3 cm. Sepal unequal, densely woolly outside. Dorsal sepal lanceolate, 1–15 mm, yellowish inside, obtuse, sparsely gland-dotted. Lateral sepals triangular, slightly oblique, ca. 14 x 8 mm, spreading, acute, mentum 7 — 11 mm long, obtuse, outwardly curved. Petals oblanceolate-spathulate, falcate, 9–1 x 4 mm, obtuse. Lip 3-lobed, obovate-oblong, 13 — 15 x 7 — 8 mm broad at middle, crimson-purple to pinkish-yellow, side-lobes, lanceolate, erect, falcate, acute, finely pubescent throughout, mid-lobe broadly orbicular, ca. 6 mm wide margin, crenate-undulate, acute, recurved, thick, disk with a thick, fleshy band from base up to the start of mid-lobe, dilated and divided into 2 thick, irregularly shaped, raised lamellae running from the base up to apex, often discontinuous at the mid-lobe. Column 4–10 x 2 mm. Capsules 4 — 7 cm long
Distribution: NW Himalaya, Nepal, E. Himalaya, SE Asia and China.
Altitudinal range: 500-1600 m.
Ecology: Epiphytic on tree trunks and lithophytic on boulders in tropical and sub-tropical forest.
Flowering: February – April.
2. Dendrolirium nepalensis (Bajrach. & K K Shrestha,) Bajach. comb. nov.
Eria nepalensis Bajrach. & K. K. Shrestha, Jour. Jpn. Bot. 78 (3): 158 (2003).
Plants epiphytic, 15–17 cm tall. Rhizomes creeping, cylindrical, woody, ca 3 mm thick, gradually thickened towards the base of pseudobulbs, sheathed; sheaths imbricate, 0.8 – 1.2 cm long, tubular. Pseudobulbs ovate-elliptic, laterally compressed, 4–5 cm long, sheathed. Leaves 3 or 4, ovate-oblong, 11–13 cm long, acute-acuminate, entire, petiole short, channaled, ca. 2.5 cm. Inflorescence solitary arising on the developing shoot, ca. 20 cm, 2–3-flowered, densely white tomentose, peduncle 5 -6 cm long, entirely covered by the sheaths and developing leaves, pubescent at base, rachis ca. 17 cm long. Floral bract oblong–lanceolate, 40-50 x 6 – 8 mm, longer than the flowers, leafy, pale green, entire, acute-acuminate. Flower greenish-yellow with purple tinge, 3–5 cm, 1.5-2.0 cm across, woolly tomentose, pedicel and ovary 2– 3 cm long. Sepals unequal, densely woolly outside. Dorsal sepal lanceolate, 17—19 x 5 mm long, obtuse, sparsely gland-dotted. Lateral sepals oblong, 10–12 x 9 mm, falcate, acute-acuminate, entire, sparsely gland-dotted, mentum 7 –11 mm long, conical, obtuse, outwardly curved. Petals obliquely oblong-lanceolate, falcate, ca.10 x 4 mm, entire, acute. Lip 3-lobed, obovate-oblanceolate, 13 x 6–7 mm broad at middle, greenish-yellow with purple tinge, side-lobes obliquely lanceolate, falcate, acute, mid-lobe obovate-orbicular, rectangular, margin undulate, shallowly emarginate, mucronate to apiculate, thickened at apex with a triangular callus and two kidney-shaped callus on both sides of epichile extending from base to mid-lobe. Column ca. 0.4 mm. Capsule not seen.
Distribution: Endemic to Nepal.
Altitudinal range: 500 m.
Ecology: Epiphytic on tree trunks in tropical forests.
Flowering: August.