Dendrobium macrostachyum, commonly known as the fringed tree orchid,[1] is a species of epiphytic orchid with long, narrow pseudobulbs that lose their leaves as they mature, and up to three whitish to lime green flowers with a hairy labellum. It is native to Australia, tropical Asia and eastern Malesia.
Dendrobium macrostachyum is an epiphytic herb with thin, almost wiry, slightly zig-zagged, green to yellowish pseudobulbs that are NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 wide. The leaves are lance-shaped to egg-shaped, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide and are shed by the time the pseudobulb is about one year old. Up to three whitish to lime green flowers NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide are borne on a thread-like flowering stem NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long. The sepals and petals are NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and about 4sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 wide. The labellum is about 18sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long, 12sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide and more or less tube-shaped near its base. The edges of the labellum are hairy and there are three hairy ridges along its midline. Flowering occurs from December to March in Australia and in January and February in the northern hemisphere.[2] [3]
Dendrobium macrostachyum was first formally described in 1830 by John Lindley who published the description in his book, The Genera and Species of Orchidaceous Plants from a specimen collected in Myanmar.[4] [5] The specific epithet (macrostachyum) is derived from the Ancient Greek words makros meaning "long"[6] and stachys meaning "an ear of grain" or "a spike".
The fringed tree orchid grows in lowland rainforest and occurs in India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, from the Himalayas to eastern Malesia and on the Cape York Peninsula as far south as the McIlwraith Range.[7]