Common Names:
Taxonomy: Kingdom: Plantae; Tracheobionta; Magnoliophyta; Liliopsida; Liliidae; Asparagales; Orchidaceae; Epidendroideae; Dendrobieae; Grastidiinae; Durabaculum imthurmil.
Location/Environment: These are often found in the Phillipines, Indonesia, New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuata, Fiji, Samoa, New Caledonia, and Northeastern Queensland. They are most abundant in coastal and lowland areas, though at least one species of the Durabaculum can be found in the ranges of the tablelands to low and moderate altitudes. These are found growing on trees and rocks in moist humid and airy habitats like rainforests, open forests, woodlands, coastal scrubs, and mangroves. They are also found on the water or near the water’s edges in the lowland tropics, rainforests, and forests of mangroves as well as the dunes and coral reefs. They are also found in cooler area of mountains and alpine forests.
Description:Named after the Latin term “Dura” for “hard, firm, solid” and “baculum” for “staff” that most likely refers to the stem-like stalk of the plant, the Genus was named “Durabaculum”. A perennial evergreen, the Durabaculum are relatively atypical orchids and are sympodial with indiscernible rhizomes, elonged pseudobulbs. Durabaculums are within a genus of 52 different species that are glabrous. This independent species of the Durabaculum Genus is an epiphytes or lithophytes that has very short indiscernaible rhizomes that are anchored by its roots rising from its nodes at the base of its pseudobulb. The pseudobulb is hard, elongated, leafy, cylindrical, cane-like, stem that offshoots thick, fleshy, flat leaves without any channels or grooves, and are not much longer than they are wide with basally sheathing unequally notched leaves. The racemose arises from the upper nodes of the pseudobulb and inflorescenses. These give blossom to long lasting, relatively large, thick-textured, often scented flowers during the winter-spring and early summer. The perianth segments are often irregularly wavy or twisted with subsimilar sepals and the bases fused to the column foot. Blue-ish, yellow, or brown petals often with cream or mauve suffusions of the flower are often longer than the sepals, lasting for many days, and the labellum is stiffly attached to the apex of the column foot. They are most active during spring and summer months, while the rest of the year remains relatively quiescent. The name of the Genus comes from the Latin durus meaning hard, tough, and baculus which describes the pseudobulbs. Aerial growths can be present often arising from the apical nodes on the pseudobulbs. Penduncle/Pedicel is not elongated in the fruit, but has numerous light-colored winged seeds.
Cultivation: This plant breeds by pollination mainly by wasps and hornets, though the mirbelianum species is self-pollinating. It reproduces solely by seed which takes 4-6 months after pollination for the capsules to develop in a pendulous position.
Common Uses:
Culinary:
Medicinal:
Folklore and Magic:
Mythology:
NOTE: This article is in constant state of research, updating, and evolution. If you have information to add, please submit to [email protected].
Photos from:
Australian National Botanical Gardens*
Canberra, Australia Capital Territory, Australia *
Bibliography and Recommended Reading:
- Absolute Astronomy ~ Duraboculum imthurmil; by unknown author; notes taken from web site in 2011; Absolute Astronomy; www.absoluteastronomy.com.
- Australian National Botanical Gardens ~ Duraboculum imthurmil; by unknown author; notes take from web site in 2011; ANBG: www.anbg.gov.au.
- Australian Native Plants Society ~ Duraboculum imthurmil; by unknown author; notes taken from web site in 2011; ANPSA; www.anpsa.org.au.
- Clements, M.A. and Jones, D.L. 2002 “Nomenclatural changes in the Dendrobieae” Orchidaceae. Australasian Regions. Orchadian 13 (11): 485-492.
- Dockrill, A.W. 1969 “Australian Indigenous Orchids: Volume 1”. Society for Growing Australian Plants, Halstead Press: Sydney, Australia.
- Jones, D.L; Clements, M.A. 2002 “Orchadian 13(11): Durabaculum – Dendrobium section”.
- Keys Trin Org: Durabaculum. Website referenced March 2012. http://keys.trin.org.au:8080/key-server/data/08090a09-0d0e-410b-860c-020705070e0e/media/Html/genera/Durabaculum.htm.
- Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust ~ Duraboculum imthurmil; by unknown author; notes taken from web site in 2011; RBGSYN: www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au.
- Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia ~ Duraboculum imthurmil; by unknown author; notes taken from web site in 2011; wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org.
- Australian Native Plants Society ~ Duraboculum imthurmil; by unknown author; notes taken from web site in 2011; ANPSA; www.anpsa.org.au.
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