I think I posted this last year, when it bloomed better. But the ng has been
pretty quiet, so here it is again. As described below, it'sa very variable
species, but this is one typical leaf shape and flower marking.

There is debate over the taxonomy of this plant, along with the closely related
species of D. lichenastrum & D. toressae. All have flat to terete leaves, with
no pseudobulbs. The blooms of toressae are noticeably different from the other
species. Those of lichenastrum & prenticei are both quite variable, but both
vary in the same range of ways - and it's really only the small button shaped
leaf of lichenastrum that distinguishes it from prenticei, the leaves of which
are more elongated (length quite variable between plants), and anything from
flattened to terete. And all variations between those extremes.

If one accepts them as Dendrobes, all three species are usually assigned to
Section Lichenastrum. Another school of thought ascribes then to the genus
Dockrillia - understandable since the Dockrillias all have more or less fleshy
leaves but no pseudobulbs.

David Jones, in his 2006 book, defined a new genus, Davejonesia, to contain
prenticei & lichenastrum, breaking D. prenticei into two species based on the
extremes of leaf shape: Davejonesia prenticei having longer cylindrical to
terete leaves, and Davejonesia auranticopurpurea having shorter flattish leaves.
But he left D. toressae out of this genus completely, assigning it to the
monospecific genus Stilbophyllum (toressae).

Debate, anybody? I'll listen with interest!
Dave Gillingham
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