Dendrobium fleckeri, commonly known as the apricot cane orchid,[1] is a species of epiphytic or lithophytic orchid endemic to far north Queensland, Australia. It has cylindrical pseudobulbs with two or three dark green leaves and up to four apricot-coloured or yellowish green flowers with tangled white hairs on the edge of the labellum.
Dendrobium fleckeri is an epiphytic or lithophytic herb that has cylindrical pseudobulbs NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. The pseudobulbs are yellowish green with two or three dark green, egg-shaped leaves NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide on the end. The flowering stem emerges from the end of the pseudobulb and is NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long with up to four resupinate, usually apricot-coloured, sometimes yellowish green flowers NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long and wide. The dorsal sepal is NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long, NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 wide and the lateral sepals are a similar length but wider. The petals are NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long and about 3sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 wide. The labellum is white with a purplish tinge, about 10sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and wide with three lobes. The side lobes are relatively large, upright and pointed and the middle lobe has three keels and dense hairs on its edges. Flowering occurs between August and January.[2]
Dendrobium fleckeri was first formally described in 1937 by Herman Rupp and Cyril Tenison White and the description was published in The Queensland Naturalist.[3] [4] The specific epithet (fleckeri) honours Hugo Flecker, a physician, natural historian, and founding president of the North Queensland Naturalists' Club.[5]
The apricot cane orchid grows in trees, shrubs and boulders in mist forest between Mount Finnigan and Mount Fisher on Cape York Peninsula.