Dendrobium hookerianum

Dendrobium hookerianum Lindl., J. Proc. Linn. Soc., Bot. 3: 8 (1858) (syn: Callista hookeriana (Lindl.) Kuntze; Dendrobium chrysotis Rchb.f. ; Dendrobium fimbriatum var. bimaculosum Tang & F.T.Wang);
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Central Himalaya to China (W. Yunnan): Assam, Bangladesh, China South-Central, East Himalaya, Myanmar, Nepal, Tibet as per POWO;
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Common name: Golden Dendrobium
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Epiphytic or lithophytic herb, 80-100 cm long, erect or pendent; stems ca. 0.5-1 cm thick, terete. Leaves simple, alternate, spiral; lamina ca. 4-10 x 0.8-2.5 cm, ovate-lanceolate to narrowly oblong-lanceolate, rounded at base, acuminate at apex, entire, coriaceous. Inflorescences in racemes ca. 4-10 cm, laxly 2-7-flowered; peduncle ca. 2.5-5 cm, often spreading outward at 90° angle to stem; basal sheaths 3 or 4, overlapping, lowermost shortest, upper longest; floral bracts ovate-lanceolate, ca. 0.4-0.6 cm, apex acute; pedicel and ovary ca. 0.3-0.4 cm. Flowers spreading, thinly textured, golden yellow, disk with a purple blotch on each side; dorsal sepal elliptic-oblong, 2.4-3.5 × 0.9-1.6 cm, 7-veined, acute; lateral sepals oblong, 2.4-3.5 × 9-1.6 cm, 7-veined, base oblique, apex subobtuse or acute; mentum conic, ca. 0.8 cm; petals oblong, 2.4-3.5 × 1-1.8 cm, 7-veined, margin entire, apex subobtuse; lip suborbicular, 2-3 cm wide, adaxially densely pubescent, base shortly clawed, claw with a callus, margin compound fimbriate; column ca. 0.4 cm, upper part enlarged; anther cap conic, glabrous, front margin denticulate.
Lithophytic on rocks in mountain valleys, epiphytic on tree trunks in mountain forests; 1000-2300 m. 
(Attrubutions: French Institute of Pondicherry as per India Biodiversity Portal)
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Dendrobium hookerianum from Manipur.: 2 images.
Photos of Dendrobium hookerianum from State Orchidarium, Imphal, Manipur. Photos by Thingnam Girija.


Not easy to differentiate between D. fimbriatum and D. hookerianum, but yes this looks like latter



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References:
POWO  Catalogue of Life  GBIF (High resolution specimens) Flora of China  FOC illustration  Annotated checklist of Flowering plants of Nepal  Flowers of India  India Biodiversity Portal  Wikipedia  iNaturalist  IOSPE Photos

 

Updated on June 10, 2025

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