12 
The Queensland Naturalist May, 1946 
DEN I) ROB IU M AI)AE F. M. Bailey and 
I). ANGORA RI UM Rupp: A DIMORPHIC SPECIES? 
By the Rev. II. M. R. Rupp, Northbridge, N.S.W. 
In this Journal, Vol. 12, No. 6, May, 194.1, p. 115, I 
described and illustrated a “new” species of Dendrobimn 
from North Queensland, under the na/ae D. ancorarium. 
In the seme issue I contributed a short article (p. 114), 
also illustrated by a plate, of D. Adae F. M. Bailey. In 
the course of discussing D. ancorarium I mentioned its 
affinities with D. Adae, but tabulated the differences which 
appeared to me to provide ample grounds for specific 
distinction. ! recorded that some years ago I had received 
a juvenile Dendrobimn plant, from Dr. H. Flecker of 
Cairns, which grew in my bush-house and finally, in 1944, 
produced its first flowers. This is the plant which I des- 
cribed as D. ancorarium ; and I mentioned receipt of an 
identical flower from Mr. T. E. Hunt of Ipswich, as evid- 
ence that my own flowers were not merely “freaks.” 
This year (1945) my plant has produced five flowers 
—three on one stem and two on another. The small raceme 
of three was the first to bloom, and all three flowers were 
identical in every respect with those of the previous year ; 
i.e. they were flowers of D. ancorarium as described, l.c. 
They were Aery short-lived, lasting only about two full 
days. Then the two flowers on the other stem developed 
and opened: and they mere perfectly typical flowers of 
D. Adae! There can be no question about this; colour, 
form, and perfume are all identical. 
It. is obvious therefore, that D. ancorarium cannot 
stand as a valid species. There is a “design” picked out 
in dark dots at the base of the column of 7). Adae , but it is 
not in the least like an anchor. The anehoi’ design was 
conspicuous in the first three of my flowers just men- 
tioned, but in the second two the outline is as usually 
found in D. Adae. 
My experience of I). Adae has been limited to a very 
tew specimens of racemes received from friends, and a 
health} plant in my bush— house which flowers freely now 
in September. At the time of writing (September 13) all 
its racemes are still in the bud stage, but are developing 
quickly.. The two “Adae flowers” on D. ancorarium, how- 
e\ er, will scarcely survive till those on the larger plant 
have opened. 
