Survey Office
19th Aug 72
Dear Sir,
I send you specimens of what I believe to be two distinct species of Dendrobium.
I had intended to send you a leaf and flowers attached of the new one but, when bringing
it in the steamer this morning, someone laid hands on it and all I could find was
the little bit of leaf, inclosed, but should you wish for it, I can send you a full
length leaf with the flowers.
The new species (?) for I do not think it has been described but has been confounded
with teritifoli[um] I procured at Mount Tomah. The distinctions so far as observed
are as follows; but the leading ones are, the
flowers being in pairs
the length tenuity of the leaves and general pendulous and crowded habit of the plant
and the sinuosity of the ridges on the labellum extending in all three & not confined
almost entirely to the central one as in teritifolium.
anther Cap red, column spotted petals and sepals spotted at the base, labellum having
the crinulate portion spotted with purple, and the ridges down the centre while sinuosity
almost confined to the central ridge, point of the labellum (which is itself shorter)
not so much lengthened and atenuated, flowers in panicles of from five to nine on
peduncles often six inches long. Leaves much more robust, few in number and much more
rigid.
Dendrobium
from Mt Tomah, anther cap and column white, petals and sepals
striped
with red brown, labellum more closely crinulated, crinulate part
not
spotted, ridges spotted with orange red and sinuous nearly for the extent of the
crinulate portion, the labellum more suddenly contracts to a fine thin point; and
is more atenuate. The flowers in pairs on short peduncles (not more than an inch long)
generally two pairs at the base of the leaf. The leaf very slender and long, reaching
to nearly two feet very numerous forming a dense mass of from four to five feet in
length and very pendulous.
I also enclose the flower of a little sarchochilus
for the name of which I should be obliged, and remain
Dear Baron
Yours truly
Robt D FitzGerald
The distinction between the Dendrobiums is very similar to that between Becklerii
and Mortii, which also has its flowers in pairs. The pair of striped flowers in the
box are from the Mount Tomah plants where I saw several all of the same habit
The perfect leaf is of D. teritifolium.
