''Dendrobium antennatum'', commonly known as the green antelope orchid, is an

epiphytic An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...

orchid Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Orchidaceae. It has cylindrical pseudobulbs with up to twelve leaves near their tips and up to fifteen white flowers with green

petal Petals are modified Leaf, leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often advertising coloration, brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''c ...

s and a white labellum with purple stripes. It grows in

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea). It is a simplified version of ...

and in tropical North Queensland where it is rare. LR018 72dpi Dendrobium antennatum

Description

''Dendrobium antennatum'' is an epiphytic orchid with cylindrical, yellowish green pseudobulbs long and wide. There are between eight and twelve egg-shaped leaves long and wide on the upper two-thirds of the pseudobulb. The flowering stems emerge from upper leaf

axil A leaf ( : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, st ...

s and are long with between three and fifteen flowers. The flowers are mostly white, long and wide but with pale green petals. The dorsal

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coined b ...

is a narrow triangular shape, long, wide and usually curled to one side. The lateral sepals are also narrow triangular, long, wide and curved backwards. The petals are linear to lance-shaped, long, about wide, stiffly erect and twisted. The labellum is white with purple stripes, about long and wide with three lobes. The side lobes curve upwards and the middle lobe in pointed with five ridges along its midline. Flowering occurs from March to December and the flowers are long-lasting.

Taxonomy and naming

''Dendrobium antennatum'' was first formally described in 1843 by

John Lindley John Lindley FRS (5 February 1799 – 1 November 1865) was an English botanist, gardener and orchidologist. Early years Born in Catton, near Norwich, England, John Lindley was one of four children of George and Mary Lindley. George Lindley w ...

from a specimen collected in New Guinea by

Richard Brinsley Hinds Richard Brinsley Hinds FRCS (11 October 1811, Aldermaston, England25 May 1846, Swan River, Western Australia) was a British naval surgeon, botanist and malacologist. He sailed on the 1835–42 voyage by HMS ''Sulphur'' to explore the Pacific O ...

Distribution and habitat

The green antelope orchid grows in mainly coastal rainforest from sea level to in the

McIlwraith Range The McIlwraith Range is a rugged, dissected granite plateau on Cape York Peninsula of Far North Queensland, Australia. Part of the Great Dividing Range, the McIlwraith Range covers about and lies about east of the town of Coen, and north ...

Cape York Peninsula Cape York Peninsula is a large peninsula located in Far North Queensland, Australia. It is the largest unspoiled wilderness in northern Australia.Mittermeier, R.E. et al. (2002). Wilderness: Earth’s last wild places. Mexico City: Agrupación ...

, the

Solomon Islands Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu. It has a land area of , and a population of approx. 700,000. Its capita ...

and New Guinea.

Conservation

This orchid is classed as "endangered" under the Australian Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dendrobium Antennatum antennatum Orchids of Queensland Endemic orchids of Australia Plants described in 1843