Dendrobium lawanum Lindl., J. Proc. Linn. Soc., Bot.

Dendrobium lawanum Lindl., J. Proc. Linn. Soc., Bot. 3: 10. 1858. Fig. 4 View Fig

An epiphytic orchid, endemic to peninsular India , can be identified by its unbranched stems, lilac or pink-tinged, white, paired flowers and lips with entire margins. Two sheets housed at K are yet to be digitized. The sheet with Dalzell’s label (top right corner) and ‘Herbarium Hookerianum’ stamp has two specimens pasted on it. Dalzell’s handwritten label has a note ‘A parasite called in Concan Bendoorly - a small white flower tinged with pink. Petals 6 (violaceous), fruit long shaped green figured (?) 24’. Another sheet at K, presented by Mrs. Dalzell in 1878, has two specimens and Dalzell’s annotation as ‘ Dendrobium lawanum ’. As none of the specimens have been annotated by Dalzell as ‘ Dendrochilum roseum’, the sheet with the description label in Dalzell’s handwriting is designated here as a neotype. The sheet (K001368946) is probably collected by Dalzell, however, it must have travelled to K with J.E. Stocks as it is without Dalzell’s annotation, and hence we are hesitant to call it part of the original material.

Schuiteman et al. (2022) and online databases such as POWO and Tropicos listed D. lawanum (incl. D. roseum ) under the synonymy of D. crepidatum Lindl. & Paxton. However , D. lawanum is quite distinct from D. crepidatum by its unidirectional curving stems, white flowers faintly tinged with pink or lilac, obscure mentum, and slightly clawed lip base, without a yellow patch ( Jalal, 2018).

The epithet ‘ lawanum’ is often used ( Santapau & Kapadia, 1966; Jalal, 2018) as ‘ lawianum’ which is an error.

7. Eria uniflora Dalzell View in CoL , Hooker’s J. Bot. Kew Gard. Misc. 4: 111. 1852. Lectotype (designated here): INDIA ,Bombay, s.d., Dalzell s.n. (K[K000260013!]); Residual syntypes: (K [K000827405!, K000827406!, K000827409!]).