Dendrobium litorale

Dendrobium litorale, commonly known as the coastal shaggy orchid, is an epiphytic orchid in the family Orchidaceae. It has a very short rhizome with crowded, slender stems with most of the leaves in the lower half. The leaves are flattened and pointed, the flowers small and pale greenish cream-coloured. It occurs on islands in the Torres Strait and in New Guinea.

Description 
Dendrobium litorale is an epiphytic herb with very short rhizomes and crowded stems  long and  wide at the widest point. The leaves are arranged in two rows, and are flattened, fleshy and pointed  long and  wide. The flowers are arranged along leafless parts of the stem and are pale greenish cream,  long and  wide. The dorsal sepal is  long, about  wide and the lateral sepals are  long and  wide. The petals are  long and about  wide. The labellum is  long,  wide and has three lobes. The side lobes are blunt and the middle lobe has a central notch. Flowering occurs in April and July.

Taxonomy and naming
Dendrobium litorale was first formally described in 1912 by Rudolf Schlechter and the description was published in Repertorium Specierum Novarum Regni Vegetabilis Beihefte.
The specific epithet (litorale) is a Latin word meaning "of the seashore".

Distribution and habitat
The coastal shaggy orchid grows on trees in lowland rainforest and beach scrub on Dauan Island in the Torres Strait and in New Guinea.

References

litorale
Category:Orchids of Queensland
Category:Orchids of New Guinea
Category:Plants described in 1912