Dendrochilum gracile (Hook. f.) J.J. Sm. 1925 SUBGENUS Platyclinis SECTION Platyclinis [Benth.] Pfitzer

Plant and Flowers in situ Cameron Highlands

Photos by © David Kuehn

and

Common Name The Graceful Dendrochilum

Flower Size 1/4" [.6 cm]

Found in Thailand, Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, and the Lesser Sunda Islands in exposed locations in lower montane ridge forests at elevations around 1300 to 1800 meters as a miniature to small sized, cool growing epiphyte with close set, ovoid, pale green, smooth pseudobulbs carrying a single, elliptic, acute t oobtuse, thin textured, gradually narrowing below into the canaliculate, petiolate base leaf that blooms on an apical, pendant, 10" [25 cm] long, many [36] flowered inflorescence with closely set, fragrant flowers that arises on a new mature growth occuring in the spring and summer

J J Smith stated that D papillosum was close to D gracile but D papillosum has broader leaves, larger flowers and the column is different.

He also stated that D gracile was close to D truncatum but it differs in the shorter inflorescence, truncate lip midlobe and shorter stelids.

D gracile var bicornutum varies in the distinct, thorn like acute, basal projections on the keels of the labellum. [photo by C L Chan]

Synonyms Acoridium gracile (Hook.f.) Rolfe 1904; Dendrochilum gracile var. bicornutum J.J.Wood 2001; Dendrochilum heterotum Pfitzer 1907; Dendrochilum lyriforme J.J.Sm. 1931; Dendrochilum tardum J.J.Sm. 1908; *Platyclinis gracilis Hook. f. 1890; Platyclinis gracilis var. angustifolia Ridl. 1907

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Icones Plantarum Vol 21 Hooker 1890 as Platyclinis gracilis drawing ok; Die Orchideen Von Java J.J.Sm. 1905; Die Orchideen Von Java Figuren Atlas J.J.Smith 1908 drawing fide; Flora of Malaya Vol 1 Holttum 1957 vdrawing fide; Orchids of Java Comber 1990 photo fide; The Orchids of Penninsular Malaysia and Singapore Wood & Seidenfaden 1992 drawing/photo fide; Orchids of Malaya Segerback 1992 photos fide; The Plants of Mount Kinabalu Vol 2 Orchids Beaman, Wood, Beaman & Beaman 1993; A Checklist of the Orchids of Borneo Wood & Cribb 1994; A Checklist of the Orchids of Borneo Wood & Cribb 1994 as D tardum; Oasis Vol 1 No 3 2000 photo; Dendrochilum of Borneo Wood 2001 drawings/photo fide; Dendrochilum of Borneo Wood 2001 as D gracile var bicornutum drawings/photo fide; Orchids of Sumatra Comber 2001; Orchids of Sarawak Wood & Beaman etal 2001; A to Z of South East Asian Orchid Species Vol 1 O'Byrne 2001 photo fide; Wild Orchids of the Cameron Highlands REACH 2009 photo fide; Wild Orchids of Penninsular Malaysia Ong, O'Byrne, Yong & Saw 2011 photo fide

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------