Dendrobium gopalanii - Agastyamala Dendrobium

Agastyamala Dendrobium is a rock-dwelling orchid, up to 15 cm high, with erect, cylindrical, leathery stems 5-7 x 0.5-0.7 cm. It is s named after R. Gopalan of Botanical Survey of India, Coimbatore. Leaves are 3-8, linear-lanceshaped, 2-3.5 x 0.4-0.6 mm, flattened, stalkless, incurved and leathery, sheathing at base, pale brownish beneath and brownish green or green above. Flowers are borne in racemes at branch-ends, 2-4 cm long, with 1-4 flowers, carried on flower-cluster-stalks 1.5-2 cm long, reddish brown. Bracts are ovate, 2-4 x 2.5-3.5 mm. Flowers are white with pale pinkish lip, 2.4-4 x 2.6-3 cm across. Dorsal sepal is oblong, 4-4.5 x 1.7-1.9 mm; lateral sepals oblong-lance-shaped, sickle-shaped, 5-6 x 1.8-2.2 mm. Petals are elliptic, 5-5.2 x 1.3-1.5 mm. Lip is 3-lobed, 7-8 x 3-3.3 mm, with gland dots and branching veins; lateral lobes ovate, 3.5-3.9 x 1-1.3 mm, and midlobe round, 4.5-5 x 4-4.5 mm, wavy-margined and notched. Disc is fleshy with an ovate, bilobed callus 1.5-1.7 mm long. Mentum is 2-3 mm long. Column is about 2 x 1 mm. Flower-stalks with ovary are 7-8 mm long. Agastyamala Dendrobium is only from Agasthiyamalai hills, Tamil Nadu-Kerala border. Flowering: February-March.