Dendrobium tetragonum Cunningham ex Lindley 1839 SECTION Dendrocoryne TYPE For the Section

Photo by Allen Black.

Another Color Flower

Photo by Eric Hunt, plant grown by White Oak Orchids.

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Common Name The Rectangular-Bulbed Dendrobium - In Australia The Blotched Tree Spider Orchid - The Banded Tree Spider Orchid

Flower Size 2 x 6" [5 x 15 cm]

Found in New South Wales and northern Queensland Australia as a cool to warm growing, small to medium sized, epiphytic species from humid ravines or gullies at altitudes of 500 to 1200 meters, with semi-pendulous, clustered, 4 angled, widest at the middle, spindle shaped apically, from 7 to 10 noded stems carrying 2 to 3, ovate or oblong, acute, papery thin yet coriaceous, dark green leaves and blooms in fall till spring on a very short, raceme with minute floral bracts and 1 to 5, variable shaped, very fragrant flowers that arise from near the apex of the leafed cane. The inflorescence can rebloom over several flowering periods so do not remove any old inflorescence, also the nodes on the thickened area of the pseudobulb can generate inflorescence.

It likes shade and to be mounted to accommodate the pendant growth habit and needs a lessening of water and fertilizer through the winter months.

Synonyms Callista tetragona (A. Cunn.) Kuntze 1891; Dendrobium capitisyork M.A.Clem. & D.L.Jones 1989; Dendrobium tetragonum subsp. cataractarum Peter B.Adams, S.D.Lawson & G.A.Paterson 2011; Dendrobium tetragonum subsp. giganteum (Leaney) Peter B.Adams 2011; Dendrobium tetragonum var. giganteum Leaney 1934; Dendrobium tetragonum var. giganteum P.A.Gilbert 1937; Dendrobium tetragonum var. hayesianum P.A.Gilbert 1937; Dendrobium tetragonum var. serpentis Peter B.Adams 2011; Dendrobium tetragonum var. tomentosum Nicholls 1942; Dendrobium tetragonum A. Cunn. var. variabilis Gilbert 1937; Dendrocoryne tetragonum (A. Cunn.) Brieger 1981; Tetrabaculum capitisyork (M.A.Clem. & D.L.Jones) M.A.Clem. & D.L.Jones 2002; Tetrabaculum tetragonum (A.Cunn. ex Lindl.) M.A.Clem. & D.L.Jones, Orchadian 13: 490 (2002; Tropilis tetragona (A. Cunn.) Butzin 1982; Tropilis tetragona (A. Cunn.) Rauschert 1983;

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Orchidaceae Monandre-Dendrobiinae Fr. Kraenzlin 1910; Die Orchideen Schlechter 1915; Die Orchideen 2 Auflage Schlechter 1927; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965; AOS Bulletin Vol 35 No 4 1966; Orchids of Australia Nicholls 1969 drawing fide; The Orchids of New South Wales Rupp 1969; The Orchids of New South Wales Rupp 1969 as D tetragonum var variable; The Orchids of New South Wales Rupp 1969 as D tetragonum var hayesianum; Miniature Orchids Northern 1980 photo fide; Die Orchideen lieferung 11/12 633 - 752 Brieger 1981 as Dendrocoryne tetragona photo fide; Dendrobium Orchids of Australia Upton 1989 drawing/photo fide; Dendrobium Orchids of Australia Upton 1989 as D tetragonum var haysianum drawing fidse; Schlechteriana Vol 2 No 1 1991 drawing/photo fide; A Guide to Orchids of the World Hodgson, Paine & Anderson 1991 Photo fide; A Guide to Orchids of the World Hodgson, Paine & Anderson 1991 as D tetragonum var gigantum Photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 61 No 6/562 1992 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 61 No 6/565 1992 photo as D capitsyork; The Manual Of Cultivated Orchid Species Bechtel, Cribb & Laurent 1992; The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Orchids Pridgeon 1992 photo fide; Manual of Orchids Stewart 1995 as D capitisyork; Manual of Orchids Stewart 1995; Orchid Species Culture; Dendrobium Bakers 1996; AOS Bulletin Vol 66 No 4 1997 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 61 #2 1997 photo fide; Orchid Australia Vol 12 No 1 2000 photo; Botanica's Orchids 2002 photo fide; Australian Orchid Review Vol 68 No 5 2003 photo; Flora's Orchids Nash & La Croix 2005 AS D capitisyork; Flora's Orchids Nash & La Croix 2005 photo fide; Australian Orchid Review Vol 71 No 1 2006 photo; Australian Orchid Review Vol 71 No 5 2006 photo; The Dendrobiums H. P. Wood 2006 photo fide; Native Orchids of Australia Jones 2006 as Tetrabaculum capitsyork photo fide; Native Orchids of Australia Jones 2006; Mille Et Une miniOrchidees Roguenant 2009 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 79 #3 2010 photo fide; Le Petit Larousse des Orchidees Lecoufle, Barthelemy & Schmidt 2013 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 87 #1 2018 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 82 #3 2018 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 88 #2 2019 photo fide;

Dendrobium tetragonum var. giganteum P.A.Gilbert 1937

Photo by © John Varigos and His Orchid webpage

Flower Size 2.8 to 4.8" [7 to 12 cm]

Found on Cape York in northern Queensland in shady locations on trees beside streams at elevations of sea level to 900 meters as a medium sized, hot to warm growing epiphyte with pendulous, pseduobulbous canes carrying 2 to 5, towards the apex, dark green ovate, acute leaves that blooms in the fall through spring on a .4 to 1.4" [1 to 3.5 cm] long, 1 to 4 flowered inflorescence.

Synonyms Dendrobium capitisyork M.A.Clem. & D.L.Jones 1989;

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Schlechteriana Vol 2 No 1 1991; Dendrobium and its Relatives Lavarack, Harris and Stocker 2000 The Dendrobiums H. P. Wood 2006 photo fide; Native Australian Orchids Jones 2004 as Tetrabacuklum capitisyork photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 79 #3 2010 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 83 #1 2019 photo fide;

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