A Guide to Dendrobium of Borneo

About this book

Dendrobium, with approximately 1580 species, is one of the most diverse genera in the orchid family and the second biggest orchid genus in Southeast Asia after Bulbophyllum. Its natural range extends from Japan south across the Pacific to Tahiti and New Zealand, and from China and India to New Guinea and Australia. Centres of speciation are found in the Himalayan region, Indochina, the Malay Archipelago (especially Sumatra and Borneo), the Philippines and New Guinea.

Borneo is one of several ‘hot spots’ of Dendrobium speciation. With approximately 167 named species in 15 sections, Borneo is the second most important location after New Guinea of Dendrobium speciation in Malesia. Eighty-three species, representing a selection from each of the 15 sections, are described and figured in A Guide to Dendrobium of Borneo. Most occur as epiphytes in hill and lower montane forest at moderate elevation, mostly between about 900 and 1600 m.

Contents

Introduction  1
Morphology of Dendrobium  1
Habit  1
Stem  5
Leaves  5
Inflorescence  5
Flower structure  5
Mentum  6
Lip  8
Column  8
Pollinia  8
Resupination  15
Pollination  15
Gregarious flowering  16
The Dendrobiums of Borneo  18
Dendrobium habitats in Borneo  18
Mangrove  18
Strand and coastal forest and rocks  19
Peat swamp forest  19
Tropical heath/kerangas forest  19
Mixed Dipterocarp forest  21
Riverine forest (riparian and freshwater swamp forest)  22
Montane forests  23
Lower montane forest  23
Upper montane forest  24
Tropical subalpine vegetation  25
Limestone forest  27
Forest on ultramafic substrate  27
Secondary forest (belukar)  28
Coffee and rubber plantations  28
Urban parkland and street trees  28
Roadside cuttings  29

Key to the sections of Dendrobium in Borneo  29
1 Section Amblyanthus  31
2 Section Aporum  32
3 Section Bolbodium  32
4 Section Calcarifera  32
5 Section Calyptrochilus  33
6 Section Conostalix  33
7 Section Crumenata  33
8 Section Dendrobium  34
9 Section Distichophyllae  35
10 Section Formosae  35
11 Section Fugacia  36
12 Section Grastidium  36
13 Section Latouria  37
14 Section Pedilonum  37
15 Section Platycaulon  38

A Selection of Species  39

Allied Genera  123
Cadetia  124
Diplocaulobium  125
Epigeneium  126
Flickingeria  127

Glossary of Technical Terms  128
Further Reading  138
Acknowledgements  139
Photo Credits  139
Index  141
Appendix  144

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