(Brieger) Dockrill

Pronunciation:

au-stral-OR-kiss
Tribe: Epidendreae
Subtribe: Dendrobiinae

Dendrobium Section Australorchis contains only four species, all from Eastern and North-Eastern Australia. They are epiphytic, or occasionally lithophytic, occurring from low to moderate altitudes. They grow on trees and rocks in bright light, fluctuating humidity with good air movement. Habitats include rainforest, open forest, woodland, coastal scrubs and rocky areas. Their climate varies from tropical to subtropical. In the tropics, the majority of rain falls during the Australian summer wet season from December to March with the remaining months being much drier and having sporadic or intermittent rain. The plants are densely matted with short, thick and hard pseudobulbs. Rhizomes are very short. The plants have tough, flat, one to three leaves that are longer than wide with unusual notched tips. Few to many star-shaped or cupped flowers are carried on long inflorescences. The flowers have a prominent mentum and a three-lobed lip. The small flowers are 0.7 to 1.5 cm wide and last only several days. Flowers may be white, yellow, or orange colored and may be scented. Flowering is usually in the Australian Autumn and Spring. The Section is most closely related toDendrocoryne. Brieger in 1981 considered Australorchis to be a separate genus from Dendrobium.

Number of species:

4 species: D. monophyllum (type species), D. carrii, D. schneiderae, D. eungellensis (6/2007)

Distribution:

Queensland and Northern New South Wales, Australia 

Dendrobium monophyllum 'Andrew' CHM/AOS - ©2009 AOS archives

Den. monophyllum - ©2009 Eric Hunt