Dendrobium vexillarius J.J.Smith 1910 SECTION Calyptrochilus Photo by © Lourens Grobler.
Plant and Flowers in situ New Guinea Photo © by Paul Noben
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Common Name The Flag-Carrying Dendrobium [refers to the odd flowers]
Flower Size less than 1" to 2"
Found as a small sized, cool to cold epiphyte from 1100 to 3500 meters in altitude growing epiphytically on the tips of tree branches or terrestrially at higher elevations in moss in New Guinea, New Ireland and the Moluccas with cylindrical, light green stems carrying 2 to 5 apical, pointed, dark green on top, gray green below leaves and blooms at most any time of the year on an erect, short, few to several flowered raceme that arises from the nodes of leafed and leafless canes with 2 to 7, shiny, color variable flowers that can last for months.
Water and fertilizer should be slightly reduced through the winter months and resumed only with the onset of new growth in the spring.
Synonyms Dendrobium albiviride P.van Royen 1979; Dendrobium albiviride var minor P.van Royen 1979; Dendrobium bilamellatum R.S.Rogers 1925; Dendrobium brachyphyta Schlechter 1923; Dendrobium caenosicallainum P. van Royen 1979; Dendrobium microblepharum Schlechter 1923; Dendrobium retroflexum J.J.Sm. 1911; Dendrobium semeion P. van Royen 1979; Dendrobium tenens J.J.Sm. 1929; Dendrobium trialatum Schlechter 1912; Dendrobium trifolium J.J.Sm. 1917; Dendrobium uncinatum Schlechter 1912; Dendrobium vexillarius var. albiviride (P.Royen) T.M.Reeve & P.Woods 1989; Dendrobium vexillarius var. elworthyi T.M.Reeve & P.Woods 1989; Dendrobium vexillarius var. hansmeyerense Howcroft & W.N.Takeuchi 2002; Dendrobium vexillarius var. microblepharum (Schltr.) T.M.Reeve & P.Woods 1989; Dendrobium vexillarius var. minor (P.Royen) Ormerod 2003; Dendrobium vexillarius var. retroflexum (J.J.Sm.) T.M.Reeve & P.Woods 1989; Dendrobium vexillarius var. uncinatum (Schltr.) T.M.Reeve & P.Woods 1989; Dendrobium xiphiphorum P. van Royen 1979; Pedilonum brachyphyta (Schltr.) Rauschert 1983; Pedilonum microblepharum (Schltr.) Rauschert 1983; Pedilonum retroflexum (J.J. Sm.) Rauschert 1983; Pedilonum trialatum (Schltr.) Rauschert 1983; Pedilonum uncinatum (Schltr.) Rauschert 1983; Pedilonum vexillarius (J.J. Sm.) Rauschert 1983
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; The Orchidaceae of German New Guinea Schlechter 1914/1985; The Orchids of Papua New Guinea An Introduction Millar 1978 as D retroflexum photo fide; The Orchids of Papua New Guinea An Introduction Millar 1978 as D uncinatum photo fide; The Orchids of The High Mountains of New Guinea P Van Royen 1979 drawing ok; The Orchids of The High Mountains of New Guinea P Van Royen 1979 as D xiphiphorum drawing ok; The Orchids of The High Mountains of New Guinea P Van Royen 1979 as D albiviride drawing ok; The Orchids of The High Mountains of New Guinea P Van Royen 1979 as D semeion drawing ok; The Orchids of The High Mountains of New Guinea P Van Royen 1979 as D retroflexum drawing ok; The Orchids of The High Mountains of New Guinea P Van Royen 1979 as D caenosicallainum drawing ok/photo ok; The Orchids of The High Mountains of New Guinea P Van Royen 1979 as D uncinatum drawing ok; AOS Bulletin Vol 56 # 10 1987 as D uncinatum photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 61 No 11 1992 D vexillarius var elworthyi photo fide; 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; Orchids of Papua New Guinea Millar 1999 as D vexillarius var uncinatum photo fide; Dendrobium and its Relatives Lavarack, Harris and Stocker 2000 photo ok; Lindleyana Vol 17 No 1 2002; Flora Malesiana Orchids of New Guinea Vol II Shuiteman and de Vogel 2002; Australian Orchid Review Vol 70 No 3 2005; Flora's Orchids Nash & La Croix 2005 photo fide; Australian Orchid Review Vol 71 No 4 2006 photo; The Dendrobiums H. P. Wood 2006 photo fide; Australian Orchid Review Vol 72 No 4 2007 photo; Mille et Une Mini Orchideees Roguenant 2009 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 74 #4 2010 photo fide; Le Petit Larousse des Orchidees Lecoufle, Barthelemy & Schmidt 2013 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 81 #3 2017 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 82 #3 2018 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 88 #11 2019 photo fide;
Dendrobium vexillarius var. albiviride (P.Royen) T.M.Reeve & P.Woods 1989
Photo by Dr Ed de Vogel © and the Orchids of New Guinea Website
Dendrobium vexillarius var. microblepharum (Schltr.) T.M.Reeve & P.Woods 1989
Photo by Dr Ed de Vogel © and the Orchids of New Guinea Website The Dendrobiums H. P. Wood 2006 photo fide
Dendrobium vexillarius var. retroflexum (J.J.Sm.) T.M.Reeve & P.Woods 1989
Photo by Dr Ed de Vogel © and the Orchids of New Guinea Website
Orchids of Papua New Guinea Millar 1999 photo fide; The Dendrobiums H. P. Wood 2006 photo fide
Dendrobium vexillarius var uncinatum[Schlechter]T.M.Reeve & P.Wood 1989
Photo by Dr Ed de Vogel © and the Orchids of New Guinea Website
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Flower Size less than 1" to 2"
This epiphytic species is found in Papua and New Guinea at elevations up to 1200 meters in mountain cloud forests but can be found in the moss covered forest floor as well and blooms on an erect, few to several flowered raceme arising from within the top two leaves or near the apex of leafless canes with up to 5 flowers opening at the same time.
Synonyms*Dendrobium uncinatum Schlechter 1912
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; AOS Bulletin Vol 56 No 10 1987 photo as D uncinatum; Orchids of Papua New Guinea Millar 1999 photo fide; The Dendrobiums H. P. Wood 2006 photo fide;
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![Dendrobium vexillarius var uncinatum[Schlechter]T.M.Reeve & P.Wood 1989](orphotdir/denvexvaruncinatum.jpg){kind=link}