Dockrillia linguiforme (Sm.) Brieger 1981 Photo by Wilford Neptune.

Flower Closeup Photo courtesy of Eric Hunt

to to

Common Name Tongue-Like Dockrillia, Thumbnail Orchid, Button Orchid

Flower Size Less than 1" [less than 2.5 cm]

Found in the rainforests of Queensland and New South Wales Australia in from sealevel to 1200 meters in elevation as a miniature epiphyte or lithophyte and forming large matted clumps with a terete stem and a creeping, branching rhizome, enveloped by sheaths and carrying sessile, alternate, ovate, oblong or obovate, very thick, smooth, longitudinally furrowed above leaves. It grows cool to warm with damp, bright conditions and blooms in the fall and winter on an erect, to 6" [6 to 15 cm] long, 15 to 20, fragrant flowered racemes. This species is often found in conjunction with ants and may benefit from their presence.

Synonyms Callista linguiformis [Sm.]O. Ktze. 1891; Dendrobium linguaeforme Sw. 1800; *Dendrobium linguiforme Sm. 1806; Dendrobium linguiforme var. huntianum Rupp 1942; Dockrillia linguiforme var. huntianum Jones 2006

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; AOS Bulletin Vol 27 No 7 1958 photo as Dendrobium linguiforme; AOS Bulletin Vol 28 No 9 1959; as Dendrobium linguiforme; AOS Bulletin Vol 32 No 8 1963 photo as Dendrobium linguiforme; AOS Bulletin Vol 35 No 4 1966 as Dendrobium linguiforme; AOS Bulletin Vol 63 No 1 1994 photo as Dendrobium linguiforme; Australian Orchid Review Vol 71 No 5 2006 photo; AOS Bulletin Vol 73 No 8 2004 as Dendrobium linguiformelia Jones 2006

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------