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Old 09-09-2007, 08:48 AM posted to alt.binaries.pictures.orchids
Dave Gillingham Dave Gillingham is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Jul 2006
Posts: 398
Default Dendrobium prenticei

I guess all I was doing really was highlighting just how confusing taxonomic
reviews can get - like the recent discussion about some of the Cattleya
alliance. Not to mention, how confused (& cranky) I get.

On Sat, 8 Sep 2007 15:09:05 -0400, "Diana Kulaga"
wrote:

Interesting little thing, isn't it? I don't have the expertise to comment on
the taxonomy, I'm afraid.

Diana

"Dave Gillingham" wrote in message
.. .
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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Dave Gillingham
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