Dendrobium wassellii, commonly known as the furrowed pencil orchid,[2] is a species of orchid endemic to a small area on Cape York Peninsula. It is an epiphytic or lithophyticorchid with branched stems, cylindrical, furrowed leaves and flowering stems with up to sixty crowded white flowers with a yellow labellum.
Description
Dendrobium wassellii is an epiphytic orchid with creeping, branching stems 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) thick. There are one or two hard, dull green leaves on the end of each branch. The leaf is more or less cylindrical, 5–12 mm (0.2–0.5 in) long and about 1 mm (0.039 in) wide with five furrows along its length. The flowering stems are 100–200 mm (4–8 in) long and bear between ten and sixty crowded, sparkling white flowers 14–18 mm (0.55–0.71 in) long and 15–20 mm (0.6–0.8 in) wide. The sepals and petals spread widely apart from each other with their tips turned outwards. The sepals are 10–14 mm (0.39–0.55 in) long, about 2 mm (0.079 in) wide and the petals are a slightly longer but narrower. The labellum is 10–12 mm (0.4–0.5 in) long, about 3 mm (0.1 in) wide, curved and yellow with purple markings. The labellum has three lobes, the side lobes erect and blunt and the middle lobe with wavy edges and three ridges along its midline. Flowering occurs from May to June.[2][3]
^ abJones, David L. (2006). A complete guide to native orchids of Australia including the island territories. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: New Holland. pp. 393–394. ISBN1877069124.
