Dendrobium atroviolaceum Rolfe 1890 SECTION Latouria Photo courtesy of Eric Hunt, plant grown by Orchid Mania.

Flower and Inflorescence Photo courtesy of Andy's Orchids, Copyright © 2002 All rights reserved

to Mid to EARLY

Common Name The Black Blood-Red Dendrobium

Flower Size 2 1/2" [6 cm]

Found in New Guinea and some surrounding islands, at an elevation of 200-800 meters as a medium sized, hot to warm growing epiphyte on large tree trunks in rainforests and as such their conditions should be the same all year. This orchid has a clavately-fusiform, deeply sulcate, geenish when young, brownish with age stem carrying 2 to 4 apical, ovate-oblong, thick, coriaceous, obtusely obtuse apically, dark green above and paler below leaves.

Frequent waterings and fertilizer will insure blooming in mid-winter through early summer with a short to 8" [to 20 cm], axillary raceme arising from just below or at the apex of new or older canes which carries 8 to many fragrant, heavy textured, very long lasting, nodding flowers.

Plants should have a drier winter although never alowed to dry out completely, with less fertilizer until the new growths arise in the spring

Synonyms Dendrobium eustachyum Schlechter 1923; Dendrobium macgregorii F.Muell. & Kraenzl. 1894; Latourea atroviolacea [Rolfe] Breiger 1981; Latourorchis atroviolacea [Rolfe] Breiger 1981; Sayeria atroviolacea (Rolfe) Rauschert 1983;

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Orchidaceae Monandre-Dendrobiinae Fr. Kraenzlin 1910; Orchidaceae Monandre-Dendrobiinae Fr. Kraenzlin 1910 as D macgregorii; The Orchidaceae Of German New Guinea Schlechter 1912/85 drawing fide; Die Orchideen Schlechter 1915 photo good; Die Orchideen 2 Auflage Schlechter 1927 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 30 No 9 1961 photo fide; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965; AOS Bulletin Vol 38 #7 1969 photo fide; The Orchids of Papua New Guinea An Introduction Millar 1978 photo fide; Miniature Orchids Northern 1980; Die Orchideen lieferung 11/12 633 - 752 Brieger 1981 as Latourea atroviolaceum photo fide; A Guide to Orchids of the World Hodgson, Paine & Anderson 1991 Photo good; The Manual Of Cultivated Orchid Species Bechtel, Cribb & Laurent 1992 photo fide; The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Orchids Pridgeon 1992 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 63 No 3 1994 photo; Manual of Orchids Stewart 1995; AOS Bulletin Vol 65 No 8 1996 photo fide; Orchid Species Culture, Dendrobium Bakers 1996; Orchid Species Culture, Dendrobium Bakers 1996 as D macgregorii; Orchids of Papua New Guinea Millar 1999 photo fide; Dendrobium and their Relatives Lavarack, Harris and Stocker 2000 photo fide; Flora Malesiana Orchids of New Guinea Vol II Shuiteman and de Vogel 2002; Botanica's Orchids 2002 photo fide; Flora's Orchids Nash & La Croix 2005 photo fide; The Dendrobiums H. P. Wood 2006 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 74 #1 2010 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 74 #4 2010 photo fide; A Guide to the Dendrobium of New Guinea Andre Schuiteman 2013 photo fide; Le Petit Larousse des Orchidees Lecoufle, Barthelemy & Schmidt 2013 photo fide;

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