Species profile—Dendrobium lithocola (dwarf Cooktown orchid)
Classification
Plantae (plants) → Equisetopsida (land plants) → Orchidaceae → Dendrobium lithocola (dwarf Cooktown orchid)
Species details
- Kingdom
- Plantae (plants)
- Class
- Equisetopsida (land plants)
- Family
- Orchidaceae
- Scientific name
- Dendrobium lithocola D.L.Jones & M.A.Clem.
- Common name
- dwarf Cooktown orchid
- WildNet taxon ID
- 8222
- Superseded by
- Dendrobium bigibbum (Cooktown orchid) (03/04/2019)
- Alternate name(s)
- Cooktown orchid
- Conservation significant
- No
- Confidential
- Yes
- Endemicity
- Exotic
- Pest status
- Nil
- Short Notes
- BRI 028712
- Description
- Dendrobium lithocola is the dwarf representative of the Cooktown orchids. Unlike the two other Cooktown orchids (D. bigibbum and D. phalaenopsis), it grows only on rocks, boulders and cliff faces. The species forms small to medium sized slender clumps, consisting of a number of erect, cylindrical stems which are slightly swollen in the middle, with rounded bases called pseudobulbs. The green or purplish stems are 5-25cm long by 1-2cm wide, with 3-12 leaves along the upper third. The leaves are narrowly ovate and 5-15cm long by 0.5-3.5cm wide. Leaves are dark green, often with purplish margins or heavily suffused with purple.
The flower stems bear 2-20 pansy-like flowers which are very similar to D. phalaenopsis. Flowers are generally lilac purple, although they can sometimes be white, bluish or pinkish. The flowers vary from 3-7cm in width and consist of an outer whorl of 3 sepals, an inner whorl of 2 petals and a modified petal called a labellum. The labellum has three lobes, with the two outer lobes curving upwards and overlapping to form a column. The middle lobe is projected forward and is curved downwards, and has a spot with ridges that are predominantly covered in mauve rather than white hairs. (Barker 1997; DEWHA 2008) - Habitat
- Dendrobium lithocola occurs in open eucalypt forests and woodlands in exposed, often harsh situations on rocks, boulders and cliff faces. It is found above 250m altitude and in areas of relatively high rainfall. (Barker 1997)
- Behaviour
- Dendrobium lithocola plants may drop all their leaves during the dry season in very exposed habitats, and rapidly produce new shoots at the onset of the wet season. (Barker 1997)
- Reproduction
- Dendrobium lithocola flowers from February to October, with an emphasis on March to August. The flowers last for two weeks. Pod development takes between 6-8 months in the D. bigibbum complex. (Barker 1997)
- Threatening processes
- Collecting, bushfires.
- Management documents
- Conservation and management of protected plants in trade in Queensland 1995-1998. Department of Environment.
- Notes
- Contributors: Weslawa Misiak 10/09/1998; Peter Bostock, Mellisa Mayhew 13/03/2009
- References
- Barker, M (1997). Dendrobium lithocola, in Species Management Manual. Department of Natural Resources, Brisbane.
Clements, M.A. (1989). Catalogue of Australian Orchidaceae. Australian Orchid Research 1: 1-160.
Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (2008). Vappodes lithocola in Species Profile and Threats Database, Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, Canberra. Accessed 30/09/2008. http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/sprat.pl
Dockrill, A.W. (1992). Australian Indigenous Orchids. Volume 1 & 2. Surrey Beatty & Sons in association with The Society for Growing Australian Plants, Chipping Norton, NSW.
Herbrecs (2008). Dendrobium lithocola, in BriMapper version 2.12. Queensland Herbarium. Accessed 30/09/2008.
White, C.T. (1941). Australian Orchid Review 6: 53. - Profile author
- Peter Bostock (13/03/2009)
Other resources
Data source
This profile data is sourced from the QLD Wildlife Data API using the Get species by ID function used under CC-By 4.0.
https://apps.des.qld.gov.au/species/?op=getspeciesbyid&taxonid=8222.
This information is sourced from the WildNet database managed by the Queensland Department of Environment and Science.
