Dendrobium gibsonii.
A soft cane orchid in the section Dendrobium.
They are epiphytic orchids with stems up to 50 cm high.
Slender stems are erect or slightly curved, rigid, slender and unbranched.
They are cylindrical with 4-5 longitudinal grooves and many nodes.
Leaves alternate in 2 ranks and are ovate to lanceolate, up to 8 cm long by 2 cm wide.
They are simple with an acute tip and bases that sheath the stem.
The inflorescences, often drooping, are at the top of older leafless stems.
They are up to 20 cm long and can have up to 10 flowers.
At the stem base are 4 to 5 overlapping sheaths up to 10 mm long.
The inflorescence stem is purple.
Individual flower stalks are 1-2 cm long.
The orange, roughly elliptic sepals, and the lateral petals spread outwards.
The bases of the lateral sepals are fused and form a small pouch or spur.
The lip is rounded or kidney-shaped with a densly hairy margin and 2 dark purple
to brown areas near the base.
The anther cap is pale yellow.
J.F.
