Vegetative key to the families
Vegetative Key Vegetative key to the families
LEAVES REDUCED TO SCALES ON THE AERIAL STEMS
Saprophytic herbs (one a climber) usually without chlorophyll Orchidaceae
Plants epiphytic on trees, logs, rocks
Leaves linear, many times longer than broad
Leaves not basal, terete Dendrobium
Leaves long, terete succulent circular in cross section or ± flattened. Flowers not resupinate (i.e. labellum uppermost in flower)
Leaves smooth, pendulous, 10–70 cm long. Stems up to 2 m long. Racemes lateral or from the bases of the leaves, many-flowered. Pencil Orchids
Perianth white cream or yellowish, 5–6 cm diam; the labellum sometimes dotted or striped with red. Leaves mostly c. 5 mm diam., 10–50 cm long. On trees (usually Casuarinaceae). Fl. July–Oct. Rats-tail Orchid Dendrobium teretifolium
Perianth greenish or the base striated with red or purple-brown, 6–10 cm diam. Leaves mostly 4 mm diam., 10–70 cm long. Blue Mts; lower Hunter River Valley. RF. Fl. Aug.–Oct. Dendrobium fairfaxii