Dendrobium masarangense var. masarangense

Dendrobium masarangense has several varieties, but the difference between them is insignificant for the most part.  From what I can tell this variety or subspecies, ssp. masarangense,  is marked especially by its whitish flowers.  It is one of tiniest of the Oxyglossum Dendrobiums.  My plant is 6 cm tall and the flowers 2 cm from the tip to the end of the spur and 1 cm in spread, but it can be even smaller.  It certainly puts on a show when it blooms in the winter.  My plant, not yet all that large has around 40 flowers and buds.  It is quite widespread through Salawesi, New Guinea, New Britain, Bougainville, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia and Fiji.  It is found both at high and low altitudes and should show some temperature tolerance for that reason, though I grow my plant intermediate to cool.

Dendrobium masarangense var. masarangense

The name of this tiny species is bigger than the plant or the flowers.  The plant is a tiny cluster of thin pseudobulbs and needle-like leaves about 7 cm tall and the flowers are about 1.5 cm, growing in pairs and showing themselves just above the pseudo-bulbs.

The plant is from New Guinea and is another one of the Oxyglossum Dendrobiums.  It is a lowland species and somewhat warmer growing than many of the others.  It varies some in color from white to pale yellow, green, or orange, the flowers in every case being nearly translucent.