Small epiphyte. Pseudobulbs club-shaped, to 10 cm long, hairy. Leaves 2 or 3, lanceolate, to 8 cm long, to 2 cm wide, curved, hairy, soon falling. Flowers 1 or 2, to 5 cm wide, yellow, often greenish on labellum; spring to summer. Sepals lanceolate. Petals lanceolate, wider than sepals. Labellum ovate, downy.

Occasionally cultivated are:

D. chrysanthum Lindl., which has orange-yellow flowers with 2 reddish-brown blotches at the base of the labellum.

D. dixanthum Rchb. f., which has pale yellow flowers with a deep yellow base to the labellum.

D. friedericksianum Rchb. f. which has chrome-yellow flowers with a darker yellow base to the labellum.

D. heterocarpum Lindl., which has cream or pale yellow flowers with a narrow labellum which is streaked with red or orange.

D. ochreatum Lindl., which is similar to D. chrysanthum but has shorter pseudobulbs and pointed perianth segments.

Burma, Thailand and Laos.

Source: Jeanes, J. (2005). Orchidaceae. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 5. Flowering plants. Monocotyledons. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.