Dendrobium falcorostrum Fitzgerald 1876 SECTION Dendrcoryne Photo by © Lourens Grobler

Flower Closeup Photo courtesy of Eric Hunt, plant grown by Petite Plaisance

Flowering plant Photo courtesy of Marius Wasbauer.

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Common Name The Beech Orchid - The Falcon's Beak Dendrobium

Flower Size up to 1"

Found in Queensland and New South Wales Australia as a small to medium sized, cold to cool growing epiphyte almost exclusively on the Arctic Beech tree in upper branches in the highlands at elevations of 700 to 1400 meters where they receive strong filtered light in a misty, humid and cool to cold environment that can see snow in the winter. They bloom on a short, axillary almost terminal, arcuate to pendant racemose inflorescence that arise from the nodes near the apex of the evergreen leafed canes, carrying strongly fragrant flowers occuring most often in the late winter and spring. They need a cool dry winter rest in cultivation without any fertilizer. Repotting is best done in the spring after it has flowered and as the new roots come back into growth. This species requires a shady, well ventilated, open environment and although a rest is required it is not quite as drastica as many of the Australian Dendrobium.

Synonyms Callista falconirostris (Fitzg.) Kuntze 1891 ; Callista falcorostra (Fitzg.) Kuntze 1891; Callista falcorostris (Fitzg.) Kuntze 1891; Dendrobium falcorostre Fitz. 1875; Thelychiton falcorostrus (W.Fitzg.) M.A.Clem. & D.L.Jones 2002; Tropilis falcorostra (Fitzg.) Rauchert 1983

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Orchid Species Culture; Dendrobium Bakers 1996; The Dendrobiums H. P. Wood 2006; Native Orchids of Australia Jones 2006 as Thelychiton falcorostrus

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