Dendrobium chameleon Ames 1908 SECTION Calcarifera
Photo by © Pieter C. Brouwer and his Nature Photo Website
Photos by © Dale Borders.
Photo by © Snotch and his Flickr Orchid Photo Website
Common Name The Chameleon Dendrobium [Refers to the flowers quick change from original color to yellow as they age] - In China Chang Zhao Shi Hu
Flower Size 1 to 1 1/2" [2.5 to 3.75 cm]
Found in the Philippines and Taiwan at elevations of 600 to 1000 + meters on rocks, tree fern and tree trunks or hanging from branches in damp, shaded areas as a medium sized, warm growing epiphyte or lithophyte with cane-like, branching, pendant to horizontal stems that are thickened apically carrying many, ovate, deciduous leaves that blooms in the fall on an axillary, short, many to each pseudobulb, all along upper third from the nodes of the leafless cane, 1 to 4 flowered, racemose inflorescence with flowers that quickly lose their original color and turn yellow.
This species needs an even temperature year round but in the winter months the plant should get less water but not allowed to dry out entirely.
Synonyms Dendrobium chameleon f. alba Ames & Quisumb 1931; Dendrobium chameleon var. ovatilabium Ames & Quisumb. 1931; Dendrobium longicalcaratum Hayata 1914; Dendrobium randaiense Hayata 1911; Pedilonum longicalcaratum (Hayata) Rauschert 1983
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Studies in the Family Orchidaceae Fascile 2 Ames 1908; Orchidaceae Monandre-Dendrobiinae Fr. Kraenzlin 1910; Native Orchids of Taiwan Tsan-Piao Lin 1975 as D randaiense drawing/photo fide; The Complete Writings on Philippine Orchids Vol 1 Quisumbing 1981; The Complete Writings on Philippine Orchids Vol 1 Quisumbing 1981 as D chameleon var ovatilabium drawing fide; Orchidiana Philipiniana Vol 1 Valmayor 1984 drawing fide; Orchidiana Philippiana Vol 1 Valmayor 1984 as D chameleon var ovatilabium; Orchidiana Philippiana Vol 1 Valmayor 1984 as D chameleon var ovatilabium f Alba; Orchid Species Culture; Dendrobium Bakers 1996; Dendrobium and their Relatives Lavarack, Harris and Stocker 2000 photo good; The Orchids of the Philippines Cootes 2001 fide; The Orchids of the Philippines Cootes 2001 as D chamenleon var ovatilabium photo fide; Flora Malesiana Orchids of the Philippines Vol I Agoo, Shuiteman and de Vogel 2003; Flora's Orchids Nash & La Croix 2005 photo ok; The Dendrobiums H. P. Wood 2006 photo fide; Philippine Native Orchid Species Cootes 2009 photo fide; Philippine Native Orchid Species Cootes 2009 Dendrobium chameleon var. ovatilabium photo fide; Flora of China Vol 25 Zhengyi, Raven & Deyuan 2009; Flora of China Vol 25 Illustrations Zhengyi, Raven & Deyuan 2010 drawing fide; Dendrobium of Borneo Wood 2014 photo goood; The Wild Orchids of Taiwan An Illustrated Guide Lin & Wang 2014 photo fide; A Guide to the Dendrobium of the Philippines Cootes & Tiong 2015 photo fide; A Guide to the Dendrobium of the Philippines Cootes & Tiong 2015 as D chameleon var ovatilabium photo fide;
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