Dendrobium clementsii, commonly known as the Cape York crimp orchid,[1] is a species of epiphytic or lithophytic orchid that is endemic to tropical North Queensland, Australia. It has long stems, tapering pseudobulbs each with a thin, leathery dark green leaf and clusters of short-lived, cream-coloured flowers with a purple labellum.
Dendrobium clementsii is an epiphytic or lithophytic herb with aerial stems up to 1sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long. The pseudobulbs are dark green to yellowish and furrowed, decreasing in length and width along the stem from 300sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long and 5sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 wide. Each pseudobulb has a single thin, leathery, dark green leaf NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long and NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 wide on the end. Clusters of cream-coloured flowers, NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long and NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 wide are arranged at the base of the leaves. The sepals are lance-shaped, NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long and NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 wide and the petals are a similar length but only about 1sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 wide. The labellum is purple, NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long, NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 wide and has three lobes. The side lobes are about 8sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 and have a short fringe. The middle lobe has spreading wavy, hairs about 5sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 on its tip. Flowering occurs sporadically throughout the year and the flowers last less than a day.[2]
The Cape York crimp orchid was first formally described in 2004 by David Jones who gave it the name Flickingeria clementsii, published in The Orchadian.[3] In 2014, Julian Mark Hugh Shaw changed the name to Dendrobium clementsii.[4]
The Cape York crimp orchid grows on rocks and trees in rainforest on the Iron and McIlwraith Ranges on the Cape York Peninsula.