Dockrillia wassellii (Furrowed Pencil Orchid)

Furrowed pencil orchid (Dendrobium wassellii)

Photograph by David Eickhoff from Pearl City, Hawaii, USA. Some rights reserved. (view image details)

PLANT FACTS

distribution map showing range of Dockrillia wassellii in Australia

Map is from The Atlas of Living Australia web site, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia License

Common Name
Furrowed Pencil Orchid

Other Names
Dendrobium wassellii

Description
The Furrowed Pencil Orchid is an epiphytic or lithophytic orchid from the rainforest of far north Queensland. Flowers are produced in clusters up to 20 cm long, with up to 60 flowers in a cluster. The individual flowers are about 2 cm across, star shaped and white with a yellow three-lobed labellum with purple stripes and spots. The lateral sepals are sickle shaped. Flowering is in late autumn and early winter from May to June. The leaves are fleshy and thick, with grooves along the length, growing to about 12 cm long and 1 cm across.

Habitat
rainforest, stream and river forest

Distribution
Dockrillia wassellii is found only on Cape York Peninsula, Queensland.

Growth Characteristics
Height: 12cm
Classification

Class:	Liliopsida
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Orchidaceae
Genus:	Dockrillia
Species:	wassellii
Common Name:	Furrowed Pencil Orchid

Relatives in same Genus
  Dockrillia bowmanii
  Dockrillia cucumerina
  Dockrillia linguiformis
  Dockrillia schoenina
  Dockrillia striolata
  Dockrillia teretifolia