Dendrobium forbesii Ridl. 1886SECTION Latouria

Flower Closeup Photo courtesy of Danny Lentz, plant grown by Atlanta Botanical Garden

Side view of flower Photo courtesy of Joe Dougherty

Another Color Variation Photo courtesy of Eric Hunt, plant grown by Dan Newman of Hanging Gardens

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Common Name Forbes' Dendrobium [English Orchid collector 1800's]

Flower Size 1.2 to 2.8" [3 to 7 cm]

Found in eastern Papua and New Guinea in mountain rainforests at 900 to 1500 meters in elevation in moist, mossy, open valleys as a medium sized, warm to cool growing epiphyte with basally slender, clavate, orange stems carrying 2 apical, elliptic-oblong leaves that blooms on a 6 to 12" [15 to 30 cm] long, erect, inflorescence with long acuminate floral bracts that arises from between the leaves at the apex of a new growth with a few to many [7 to 20], fragrant flowers with the backs of the sepals and the ovaries covered with spines occuring in the summer till early winter.

Slightly reduce water and fertilizer through the winter months and it is best put in a pot with a fast draining medium.

Synonyms Dendrobium ashworthiae O'Brien 1901; Dendrobium eustachyum Schltr. 1923; Dendrobium forbesii var. praestans Schltr. 1912; Latourea forbesii [Ridl.] Breiger 1981; Latourorchis forbesii [Ridl.] Breiger 1981; Sayeria eustachya (Schltr.) Rauschert 1983; Sayeria forbesii (Ridl.) Rauschert 1983

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Orchidaceae Monandre-Dendrobiinae Fr. Kraenzlin 1910 as D ashworthiae; Orchidaceae Monandre-Dendrobiinae Fr. Kraenzlin 1910; The Orchidaceae of German New Guinea Schlechter 1912/85; AOS Bulletin Vol 27 No 7 1958 as D ashwothiae drawing fide; The Orchids of Papua New Guinea An Introduction Millar 1978 photo fide; Die Orchideen lieferung 11/12 633 - 752 Brieger 1981 as Latourea forbesii var praestans drawing good; The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Orchids Pridgeon 1992 photo fide; Manual of Orchids Stewart 1995; Orchid Species Culture; Dendrobium Bakers 1996; Orchids of Papua New Guinea Millar 1999 photo fide; Dendrobium and its Relatives Lavarack, Harris and Stocker 2000 photo fide; Botanica's Orchids 2002 photo fide; Flora Malesiana Orchids of New Guinea Vol II Shuiteman and de Vogel 2002; Australian Orchid Review Vol 71 No 1 2006 photo; The Dendrobiums H. P. Wood 2006 photo fide; A Guide to the Dendrobium of New Guinea Schuiteman 2013 photo fide;

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