Family : Orchidaceae
Text © Pietro Puccio
English translation by Mario Beltramini
Dendrobium taurulinum is a little known Moluccan epiphyte with flowers reminding the head of a bull © G. Mazza
The name of the genus is the combination of the Greek substantives “δένδρον” (dendron) = tree and “βίος” (bios) = life, with reference to the numerous species living on the trees; the name of the species comes from the Latin adjective “taurulinus, a, um” = of small bull, with reference to the shape of the flower reminescent of the head of a bull.
The Dendrobium taurulinum J.J.Sm. (1920) is an epiphyitc species with cylindrical pseudobulbs slightly enlarged in the median part bearing alternate leaves, distichous, oblong elliptic with irregularly bilobed apex.
Almost erect racemose inflorescences from the upper nodes, up to 15 cm long carrying up to 7 flowers of about 2 cm of diameter of yellowish white colour, 1,3 cm long labellum.
It reproduces by seed, in vitro, micropropagation and division, to be done by the vegetative restart, with each section provided of at least 3-4 pseudobulbs.
The species is shown in the appendix II of the CITES (species whose trade is internationally ruled).
Synonyms : Ceratobium taurulinum (J.J.Sm.) M.A.Clem. & D.L.Jones (2002).
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