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Moderator: Marilyn Light November 12, 2003 |
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MarilyninOttawa
Some Philippine orchids whose names begin with 'D' The Philippines, an extended archipelago of several large
and many smaller islands, has provided many notable orchids to
the horticultural domain including Amesiella philippinensis,
Aerides quinquevulnera, Dendrobium schuetzei, Paphiopedilum
philippinense, Phalaenopsis schilleriana, Renanthera monachica,
and Vanda lamellata. Interest in Philippine orchids has been noted in the literature since the early 18th century. Among the many books published, among the most notable is Valmayor's Orchidiana Philippiniana published in 1984. More recent references to Dendrobium and Dendrochilum can be found in: D. P. Banks and J. Cootes, 1995. The genus Dendrochilum - A guide to the species in cultivation. Orchids Australia 7(3): 48-55. D. P. Banks and J. Cootes, 1995. The genus Dendrochilum - A guide to the species in cultivation - Part 2. Orchids Australia 7(4): 57-59. D. P. Banks and J. Cootes, 1995. The genus Dendrochilum - A guide to the species in cultivation - Part 3. Orchids Australia 7(5): 40-49. J. Cootes and D. P. Banks, 1997. Philippine Dendrochilums. Orchids (August): 800-807. H. H. Fessel and P. Balzer, 2000. A selection of native Philippine orchids. Second edition. Times Editions, Singapore. 192 pp.
DENDROBIUM There are countless species of Dendrobium found throughout Australasia and many of these grow in the Philippines. Some of the Philippine Dendrobiums occur elsewhere in the region but there are also many endemics. Some are spectacular when in flower, others intriguing through their deciduous nature and others challenging in terms of their taxonomy. Dendrobium amethystoglossum - Endemic to the island of Luzon, this large deciduous species produces pendant clusters of pure white 4 cm wide flowers whose lips are splashed a gorgeous light magenta. Dendrobium bullenianum - I first encountered this species listed in a 1970's catalogue as Den. topazicum. I was intrigued by the name and the clusters of yellow orange striped 2 cm wide blooms produced from leafless canes. A medium-sized species, this Philippine endemic is best grown mounted. Dendrobium crumenatum - The Pigeon Orchid is well known outside the Philippines where it also grows. Blooming happens after a sudden drop of about 9C as might occur during a heavy rainshower. Blooming can happen often throughout the year although the 3 to 4 cm wide offwhite flowers last but a day. It is believed that synchronous blooming favors the exchange of pollen between plants similarly affected by a climatic event. John_in_Arcadia_CA MarilyninOttawa Dendrobium gonzalesii - This pendulous orchid closely resembles another Philippine endemic, Den. victoriae-reginae, in habit and in flower color. The blue mauve flowers are produced in small clusters at the ends of the canes. They have a prominent hooked spur which Den. victoriae-reginae does not. Blooming happens on semi-deciduous older canes, usually in autumn but the flowers last months. I had a chance to examine Den. gonzalesii, victoriae-reginae and their primary hybrid, Mingle's Sapphire. Although all three look superficially alike, the hooked spur is the giveaway for the gonzalesii. Den. Mingle's Sapphire (gonzalesii x victoriae-reginae) registered by A. Millet in 1999 bears clusters of intense sapphire-blue flowers. Blooming is in autumn with flowers lasting months. Dendrobium guerreroi - The elegant golden waxy 4 cm wide blooms of this deciduous Philippine endemic are produced in pendant clusters of up to 15 flowers. Dendrobium heterocarpum - Known from the Philippines and also from southeast Asia, this compact deciduous species is registered as a background parent of some 1300 hybrids under the name, Den. aureum. The starry yellow flowers have orange lips. Dendrobium goldschmidtianum aka miyakei - The story of this colorful orchid could serve as the basis of a detective novel. Nothing sinister but simply separate descriptions as often happened in the past. The 2 cm bright pink flowers are produced in small clusters along leafless stems. There is also a yellow form. picture Most of the Dendrobiums just presented will grow and flower well in situations where temperatures vary sometimes considerably between night and day. The flowers last longer also. Jade MarilyninOttawa Jade MarilyninOttawa
DENDROCHILUM Jade MarilyninOttawa Dendrochilum is a genus of some 40 species. The plants are mostly small to medium-sized, clumping and flowering when the new shoots develop. Typically, the single leaf is rolled into a tube from which the inflorescence emerges as the shoot develops. picture You will some resemblance to the genus Coelogyne with which Dendrochilum is allied. Flowers are numerous, mostly tiny and produced in long chains of 20 to 50 blooms in shades of white, green, beige, yellow, salmon, red and brown. picture The flowers have a range of scents, from a musky odor produced at dusk by Dendrochilum convallariaeforme to the delightful citrus bouquet produced by Dendrochilum filiforme on warm, sunny days. The flowers are simple but delicate and a challenge to hand pollinate. Often fungus gnats or fruit flies will do the job nicely. Tiny bead-like fruits dehisce shortly before the plants blooms again or about 8 to 10 months after pollination. My first Dendrochilum was unnamed. It grew as best as it could while I got to know its habits. The plant would begin growth only in autumn after it had been exposed to cool nights. The shoots grew quickly and from the centers emerged curious tails of compressed flower buds. picture The buds expanded and then opened but I was dismayed that the blooms were so fragile. They needed a cool humid environment in which to show off their splendor I tentatively identified this plant as Dendrochilum bicallosum. picture As the new growths began to mature and the pseudobulbs attained their mature form, I realized that there were two shapes of pseudobulb in my clump. The majority that were conical belonged to the Dend. bicallosum but the others were narrow, elongated and ribbed. picture During the following summer, I kept the plant under semi-shaded humid conditions. In autumn, I watched for the telltale new shoots and when they emerged, I moved it into a cool place with good humidity and air movement. It was not long before two different kinds of spike emerged. The first type belonging to the conical pseudobulbs was elongated and arching with more than 30 buds while the spike belonging to the plant with elongated pseudobulbs was shorter and developed before the single leaf was fully expanded. picture What was the stranger? About this time, I read the third in a series of articles on the genus authored by David P. banks and Jim Cootes in Orchids Australia. What they pictured and named species 'K' was what I had! picture Jade MarilyninOttawa MarilyninOttawa Dendrochilum convallariaeforme aka bicallosum - I recently learned that the name of this Luzon endemic was declared by Pedersen to be synonymous with that of Dend. bicallosum. It grows in humid mountain forests above 1000 m. The flowers come in variable shades of beige to salmon. At night, the flowers emit a musky odor which has proven attractive to fungus gnats: a few capsules have been produced. During the winter blooming season, keep the plants in cool, humid conditions otherwise flower quality will be compromised. picture The Dnchlm. convallariforme's I have seen have all been shades of salmon pink to beige-pink. The inflorescences were more or less compact but that could be attributed to culture. I have never seen a yellow one. They are described as having brownish red flowers. Dendrochilum cootesii - Aka Species 'K', this orchid was later described as a new endemic species and named in honor of Jim Cootes. The flowers are fleshy and somewhat more elaborate than the typical Dendrochilum. The lip side lobes partly encircle the column. There is no other like Dnchlm. cootesii (as far as we know). In fact, for a while, they thought that it might be a closely related Pholidota but this was discounted. Dendrochilum cootesii flowers also produce nectar which gathers at the base of the floral cup. picture Dendrochilum cootesii inhabits the humid mountains of Luzon around 1000 m elevation where Dend. convallariaeforme might also grow. I have found that my plant is a less vigorous grower and little bit more demanding of cool growing conditions even during the dormant summer season. All Dendrochilums have floral bracts which we can see here with Dnchlm. cootesii where we are looking at the backs of the expanding flowers. picture Dendrochilum filiforme - A warm grower with long-lasting, lemon-scented bright yellow flowers, this species does not like cold as I learned to may dismay when it lost a few leaves after a cool night in the greenhouse. Grow this plant above 50F and preferably warmer or around 70F. Like Dnchlm. cootesii, Dnchlm. filiforme has a defined growing season followed by an extended period of seeming inactivity. Flowering is in summer when the flowers are remarkably long-lived for something so delicate. Fruit flies and tiny wasps are attracted to the fragrant blooms. I continue to mist the plants but gradually reduce watering after the pseudobulbs have matured. picture Dendrochilum tenellum - This curious endemic produces long spikes of tiny whitish blooms from terete leaves. It is quite unlike any other known Dendrochilum and therefore quite easy to identify. The flowers of Dnchlm. tenellum seem incredibly tiny yet, when we view them close-up, more detail is revealed. picture Enlargement of a well focused image reveals that this is indeed, Dnchlm. tenellum. picture N_Calif_Kathy MarilyninOttawa MarilyninOttawa Here are two indispensable references for those wanting correct spelling and possible synonyms for species orchids. In fact, when we photographed some of what has been shown, the names on the labels were somewhat different from the correct spelling should be. We checked the spelling possibilities using the following references then compared the flower structures to the species descriptions in the literature. Missouri Botanical Garden database button International Plant Names Index button We must be very careful about the correct identification of Dendrochilums. Many of the plants at shows are incorrectly identified. That is why I provided so many references. You should try to find these resources to be doubly certain about what you have. D. P. Banks and J. Cootes, 1995. The genus Dendrochilum - A guide to the species in cultivation. Orchids Australia 7(3): 48-55. D. P. Banks and J. Cootes, 1995. The genus Dendrochilum - A guide to the species in cultivation - Part 2. Orchids Australia 7(4): 57-59. D. P. Banks and J. Cootes, 1995. The genus Dendrochilum - A guide to the species in cultivation - Part 3. Orchids Australia 7(5): 40-49. J. Cootes and D. P. Banks, 1997. Philippine Dendrochilums. Orchids (August): 800-807. H. H. Fessel and P. Balzer, 2000. A selection of native Philippine orchids. Second edition. Times Editions, Singapore. 192 pp. Charlotte_in_Calif N_Calif_Kathy Charlotte_in_Calif N_Calif_Kathy MarilyninOttawa N_Calif_Kathy Jade MarilyninOttawa N_Calif_Kathy And, I'm having a hard time imagining a gnat as a pollinator.
Dendrochilum pollinia must be exceedingly small.... The floral bracts are variable in size between species. Some likely do a very good job at protecting the delicate flowers while others are much reduced. Dnchlm. wenzelii has bracts that are about half the flower length while Dnchlm. yuccaefolium has bracts less than 1/4 the length of the open flower. End |
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Prechat Handout Some Philippine orchids whose names begin with 'D'
The Philippines, an extended archipelago of several large and many smaller islands, has provided many notable orchids to the horticultural domain including Amesiella philippinensis, Aerides quinquevulnera, Dendrobium schuetzei, Paphiopedilum philippinense, Phalaenopsis schilleriana, Renanthera monachica, and Vanda lamellata. Diversity exists in part because of the range of habitat and climatic conditions. Also, plants growing on islands separated from mainland populations tend to evolve into unique forms. According to Fessel and Balzer, there are some 1000 orchid species to be found in the Philippines of which about 70% are endemic or unique. Some have been described under different names or have come into cultivation either with incorrect labels or as previously undescribed species. The correct identification of a plant is not only of academic interest but is also important to conservation. Interest in Philippine orchids has been noted in the literature since the early 18th century. Among the many books published, among the most notable is Valmayor's Orchidiana Philippiniana published in 1984. More recent references to Dendrobium and Dendrochilum are listed at the end of this article.
DENDROBIUM Dendrobium amethystoglossum - Endemic to the island of Luzon, this large deciduous species produces pendant clusters of pure white 4 cm wide flowers whose lips are splashed a gorgeous light magenta. Dendrobium bullenianum - I first encountered this species listed in a 1970's catalogue as Den. topazicum. I was intrigued by the name and the clusters of yellow orange striped 2 cm wide blooms produced from leafless canes. A medium-sized species, this Philippine endemic is best grown mounted. Dendrobium crumenatum - The Pigeon Orchid is well known outside the Philippines where it also grows. Blooming happens after a sudden drop of about 9C as might occur during a heavy rain shower. Blooming can happen often throughout the year although the 3 to 4 cm wide off-white flowers last but a day. It is believed that synchronous blooming favors the exchange of pollen between plants similarly affected by a climatic event. Dendrobium gonzalesii - This pendulous orchid closely resembles Den. victoriae-reginae in habit and in flower color. The blue mauve flowers have a prominent hooked spur and are produced in small clusters at the ends of the canes.. Blooming happens on semi-deciduous older canes, usually in autumn but the flowers last a month or more. Dendrobium guerreroi - The elegant golden waxy 4 cm wide blooms of this deciduous Philippine endemic are produced in pendant clusters of up to 15 flowers. Dendrobium heterocarpum - Known from the Philippines and also from southeast Asia, this compact deciduous species is registered as a background parent of some 1300 hybrids under the name, Den. aureum. The starry yellow flowers have orange lips. Dendrobium goldschmidtianum aka miyakei - The story of this colorful orchid could serve as the basis of a detective novel. Nothing sinister but simply separate descriptions as often happened in the past. The 2 cm bright pink flowers are produced in small clusters along leafless stems. There is also a yellow form.
DENDROCHILUM My first Dendrochilum was unnamed. It grew as best as it could while I got to know its habits. The plant would begin growth only in autumn after it had been exposed to cool nights. The shoots grew quickly and from the centers emerged curious tails of compressed flower buds. The buds expanded and then opened but I was dismayed that the blooms were so fragile. They needed a cool humid environment in which to show off their splendor I tentatively identified this plant as Dendrochilum bicallosum. As the new growths began to mature and the pseudobulbs attained their mature form, I realized that there were two shapes of pseudobulb in my clump. The majority that were conical belonged to the Dend. bicallosum but the others were narrow, elongated and ribbed. During the following summer, I kept the plant under semi-shaded humid conditions. In autumn, I watched for the telltale new shoots and when they emerged, I moved it into a cool place with good humidity and air movement. It was not long before two different kinds of spike emerged. The first type belonging to the conical pseudobulbs was elongated and arching with more than 30 buds while the spike belonging to the plant with elongated pseudobulbs was shorter and developed before the single leaf was fully expanded. What was the stranger? About this time, I read the third in a series of articles on the genus authored by David P. banks and Jim Cootes in Orchids Australia. What they pictured and named species 'K' was what I had! Dendrochilum convallariaeforme aka bicallosum - The name of this Luzon endemic was declared by Pedersen to be synonymous with that of Dend. bicallosum. It grows in humid mountain forests above 1000 m. Dendrochilum cootesii - Aka Species 'K', this orchid was later described as a new endemic species and named in honor of Jim Cootes. It inhabits the humid mountains of Luzon around 1000 m elevation where Dend. convallariaeforme might also grow. Dendrochilum filiforme - A warm grower with long-lasting, lemon-scented bright yellow flowers, this species does not like cold as I learned to may dismay when it lost a few leaves after a cool night in the greenhouse. Dendrochilum tenellum - This curious endemic produces long spikes of tiny whitish blooms from terete leaves. It is quite unlike any other known Dendrochilum and therefore quite easy to identify. As with many species orchids, names get lost, misspelled or otherwise confused along the way from the original collection to the show. Fortunately, there are now many useful references available in print both as books and on the internet for those of us who are puzzled by something new. References D. P. Banks and J. Cootes, 1995. The genus Dendrochilum -
A guide to the species in cultivation. Orchids Australia 7(3):
48-55. |
