Dendrobium jonesii, commonly known as the oak orchid[1] is a species of epiphytic or lithophytic orchid endemic to far north Queensland. It has spindle-shaped pseudobulbs, up to seven thin, dark green leaves and up to thirty five crowded, star-like, fragrant cream-coloured or white flowers with purple markings on the labellum.
Dendrobium jonesii is an epiphytic or lithophytic herb with dark brownish green pseudobulbs that are NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide and tapered at both ends. There are between two and seven thin, leathery, dark green leaves NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 wide. Between ten and thirty five cream-coloured or white resupinate flowers NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide are borne on a flowering stem NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long. The sepals and petals are pointed, the sepals NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide and the petals a similar length but narrower. The labellum is white with purple markings, about 8sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and 7sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide with three lobes. The side lobes are curved and the middle lobe is oblong with an orange ridge along its midline. Flowering occurs from July to November.[2] [3]
Dendrobium jonesii was first formally described in 1901 by Alfred Barton Rendle from a specimen collected by "Mr. Arthur Owen Jones, J.P.". The description was published in the Journal of Botany, British and Foreign[4] [5] and the specific epithet (jonesii) honours the collector of the type specimen.
There are two varieties:
The oak orchid grows in rainforest and in open forest where it often grows on she-oaks (Casuarina species) between the Iron Range National Park and Paluma. The variety magnificum grow at higher altitudes in the southern part of the species' range.