Dendrobium mannii - Small Yellow Dendrobium

Small Yellow Dendrobium is a miniature sized, tree-dwelling orchid with thin basally, expanding and flattened above stems carrying 10-12, distichous, equitant, fleshy, triangular, deciduous leaves. It is named for Horace Mann Jr., 19th century American naturalist. The plant blooms in the fall on a short, lateral, 1 to 2 flowered inflorescence arising on leafless or sometimes leafy stems. Flowers are up to 1.5 cm long from tip of dorsal to tip of the mentum, about 7 mm across, greenish yellow with purple veins. Dorsal sepal is 4 x 2.5 mm, ovate, blunt, 3-nerved. Lateral sepals are 10 x 9 mm, pointed, 5-nerved, forming 1m obliquely ovate, a mentum with column foot Petals are 4 x 1 mm, oblong, blunt, 1-nerved. Lip is up to 15 x 7 mm, inverted-lanceshaped, clawed at base; epichile bilobulate at tip, wavy at margins, with a green thickening on the disc. Column is very short, about 1 mm long. Small Yellow Dendrobium is found in Arunachal Pradesh to Peninsula Malaysia, at altitudes of 300 to 900 m. Flowering: November.