Dendrobium striolatum, commonly known as the streaked rock orchid[1] is a species of orchid endemic to eastern Australia. It is a small, usually lithophytic orchid with wiry stems, cylindrical leaves and flowering stems with one or two yellow, cream-coloured or greenish flowers with reddish stripes. It often grows on cliff faces in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania.
Dendrobium striolatum is a lithophytic orchid with upright or pendent stems and leaves. Its stems are wiry, often yellowish, up to 600sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and 2sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. The leaves are linear and cylindrical, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 wide. The flowering stems are NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and bear one or two flowers NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. The sepals and petals yellow, cream-coloured or greenish and have reddish streaks on the backs and on their bases at the front. The sepals are NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long and NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 wide and the petals are a similar length but only about 1sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 wide. The labellum is NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide and is strongly curved. The side lobes are short and blunt and the middle lobe has crinkled edges and three wavy ridges along its midline. Flowering occurs from September to November.[2] [3] [4]
Dendrobium striolatum was first formally described in 1857 by Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach and the description was published in Hamburg Garten-und Blumenzeitung[5] .[6] The specific epithet (striolatum) is a Latin word meaning "hollow out", "channel", "groove", "furrow" or "flute".[7]
The streaked rock orchid grows on rocks, boulders and cliffs from the Blue Mountains in New South Wales, through eastern Victoria to Tasmania, including Cape Barren Island and Flinders Island.