Christmas Island Botanical Postage Stamps

Date of issue:16 August 1994
Designer: Celia Rosser
Printer: McPherson's Printing Group, Mulgrave

Part of a series of five stamps on indigenous orchids

Plant: Dendrobium crumenatum

Family: ORCHIDACEAE

Pigeon Orchid

This orchid is common on trees throughout Christmas Island, often in exposed positions.
The stems are 40-70 cm long and the flowers are borne on the upper leafless part of the stem.
It is widespread in S.E. Asia from India to southern China and PNG. It is reportedly naturalised
in Fiji, Hawaii and the West Indies.