Chocolate Tea Tree Orchid vs May River Red

Dendrobium johannis compared with Dendrobium lasianthera

Key Differences

• Chocolate Tea Tree Orchid is Near Threatened while May River Red is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Chocolate Tea Tree Orchid	May River Red
Kingdom same	Plantae (พืช)	Plantae (พืช)
Phylum same	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class same	Liliopsida (Monocots)	Liliopsida (Monocots)
Order same	Asparagales (อันดับหน่อไม้ฝรั่ง)	Asparagales (อันดับหน่อไม้ฝรั่ง)
Family same	Orchidaceae	Orchidaceae
Genus same	Dendrobium	Dendrobium
Species	Dendrobium johannis	Dendrobium lasianthera

Evolutionary Relationship

Chocolate Tea Tree Orchid and May River Red share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Dendrobium.

Conservation Status

Chocolate Tea Tree Orchid

NT — Near Threatened

May River Red

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Chocolate Tea Tree Orchid	May River Red
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Chocolate Tea Tree Orchid

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.

May River Red

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.

Chocolate Tea Tree Orchid

The Chocolate Tea Tree Orchid (Dendrobium johannis) is an epiphytic to lithophytic orchid in the family Orchidaceae, endemic to northern Queensland, Australia and southern Papua New Guinea. It belongs to the vast genus Dendrobium, one of the largest orchid genera with over 1,800 species across tropical and subtropical Asia, the Pacific, and Australia. Dendrobium johannis produces cane-like pseudobulbs bearing narrow, leathery leaves, and clusters of small to medium-sized flowers with creamy white to pale yellow petals and a lip marked with chocolate-brown to maroon blotches and stripes — a patterning that may serve to attract specific bee pollinators through visual mimicry or reward signalling. In the wild, the species grows on tea trees (Leptospermum, Melaleuca), paperbarks, and other trees in seasonal tropical woodland, gallery forest, and savanna margins in the Top End and Cape York regions. It tolerates distinct wet and dry seasons, losing some foliage during dry conditions. The IUCN classifies this species as Near Threatened, reflecting pressures including habitat clearing for agriculture, altered fire regimes, and collection for the horticultural trade. It is cultivated by orchid enthusiasts worldwide and has been used in hybridisation programmes.