Dendrobium strongylanthum ?

Dendrobium strongylanthum Rchb.f., Gard. Chron., n.s., 9: 462 (1878) (syn: Callista strongylantha (Rchb.f.) Kuntze; Dendrobium ctenoglossum Schltr.);
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China (Yunnan) to N. Indo-China, Hainan: China South-Central, Hainan, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Tibet, Vietnam as per POWO;
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Dendrobium denudans D. Don: 9 very high res. images.
Location: Kalikot, West Nepal
Altitude: 1695 m.
Date: 14 August 2021
Habit : Wild
Validation please !

I am not sure. What I see here is Dendrobium monticola or may be something else.

Couple of species look alike and difficult to ID.

D. monticola from IOSPE which looks different from my sp.
http://www.orchidspecies.com/denmonticola.htm
And one image from Flora of Bhutan.

Dendrobium strongylanthum!!
Sorry for previous mistake!!

Surprisingly, there is no distribution for Nepal ! Could it be a new to Nepal ?

There are a lot of issues with the Nepal orchid list.

1. I would like to see the spread up labellum of this plant to confirm. However, I can see some dark thickening on the margin on labellum. With that characteristics I would guess it is Dendrobium strongylanthum.

2. Looking at the pics on the Orchids of Nepal by Bhakta B. Raskoti:

a. page 95, what he calls Dendrobium denudans looks to me like D. monticola or D. eriiflorum

b. page 96, what he calls Dendrobium eriiflorum could be correct but different colour form.

c. page 103, what he calls Dendrobium monticola for sure is wrong, it is Dendrobium porphyrochilum.

d. page 107, what he calls Dendrobium porphyrochilum is for sure wrong and it is same plant as on page 96.

But if I tell him that, he gets upset.

There is one more species, Dendrobium numaldeorii which needs to be synonymised under D. strongylanthum.

Then there is second species Dendrobum nareshbahadurii which needs to be merged under D. strongylanthum too.

Your plant may look like Dendrobium denudans, but its not. Both have drooping flowers with long acuminate tips of petals and sepals and lip tip is curved like a hook downwards. But, denudans doesn’t have the black callus on lip. Your plant certainly has that callus.
The latest list of Nepal orchids I have doesn’t have D. strongylanthum in it, so yes this is a new record. But it is best to dissect and have a proper plate to confirm and then publish.

Thank you … for the detailed analysis! Yes I agree there are some mistakes in the book.
It is about 800 km away. However, I shall try to do as suggested by you.

I guess it is not matching to Dendrobium strongylanthum Rchb.f. and no distribution for Nepal. https://www.gbif.org/species/5316149
Closest I can guess is Dendrobium denudans D.Don !The 1st image is from orchids of Bhutan and the 2nd is from Orchids of India !
May I have your further opinion ?

I can agree that your plant is NOT Dendrobium strongylanthum.

I can agree that your plant is NOT Dendrobium strongylanthum.

I would like to know a few things Saroj sir:

1. Who told you that your plant is denudans?

2. What is the main character of denudans?

3. Are you sure the image identified in Orchids of Nepal is correct?
4. Are you sure the image in Orchids of Bhutan is correct?

1. I just guessed among the listed in Nepal, since no other match I could get.

2. No idea

3. I have not posted any images from the book Orchids of Nepal.

4. I am not sure about the ID as given in the book Orchids of Bhutan and

BSI book Orchids of India.

There is denudans, numaldeorii, nareshbahadurii, strongylangthum they all have long petals and sepals but the difference is on the labellum. Labellum as callus, normal one and then dark black ugly types.
Unless we see the lip properly, it is not easy to make out.
Check the image below.
All these species are found in northeast India and I am sure they can reach Nepal too.

Wow considerable differences on the lip. Most specimens identified as denudans can be the other species as well.

I could not decide. Sending cropped image.

Image of dry specimen.

2 images.

References:
POWO Catalogue of Life

Updated on April 9, 2025

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