Dendrobium kingianum Bidwill ex Lindl.

"The Dendrobium kingianum Bidwill ex Lindl. orchid, also known as Thelychiton kingianus, Captain King dendrobium, a pink orchid, occurs naturally in an area along the east coast of Australia between Rockhampton in Queensland and the Hunter River in New SouthWales at an altitude of 50 up to 1200 meters above sea level." 

Dendrobium kingianum Bidwill ex Lindl., Edwards's Bot. Reg. 30(Misc.): 11 (1844).

Dendrobium kingianum Bidwill ex Lindl., Photos by José Santos da Costa

Dendrobium kingianum Bidwill ex Lindl., Photos by 蘇清記

Family:

Orchidaceae.

Synonym:

Callista kingiana (Bidwill ex Lindl.) Kuntze

Dendrobium kingianum var. album B.S.Williams

Dendrobium kingianum var. aldersonae F.M.Bailey

Dendrobium kingianum var. pallidum F.M.Bailey

Dendrobium kingianum var. silcockii F.M.Bailey

Dendrocoryne kingianum (Bidwill ex Lindl.) Brieger

Thelychiton kingianus (Bidwill ex Lindl.) M.A.Clem. & D.L.Jones

Tropilis kingiana (Bidwill ex Lindl.) Butzin

Accepted Infraspecifics

Dendrobium kingianum subsp. carnarvonense Peter B.Adams

Dendrobium kingianum subsp. kingianum

Dendrobium kingianum var. pulcherrimum Rupp

English Name:

Pink Rock Lily and Capt. King's Dendrobium (Governor - New South Wales 1800's) The Pink Rock Orchid

Description: 

Dendrobium kingianum is usually a lithophyte (growing on rocks) but can sometimes be found as an epiphyte (growing on another living plant, but not parasitic in nature). Pseudobulbs are up slender, up to 35 cm long with a thick base. There are usually 3 to 6 thick leaves at the top of each pseudobulb. Flowers occur on stems from the top of each pseudobulb in racemes of 2 to 15 flowers per stem. They are usually pink to deep mauve but white forms are known. Flowers are seen from late winter to spring.

Distribution:

New South Wales, Queensland

Ecological:

At elevations of 50 to 1200 meters where it is found both on the coast and in the mountains growing lithophytically on rocks and cliff faces forming dense mats.

Flowering times:

Blooms in the late winter and early spring.

Flower size:

3.0 cm.

Cultivation:

Pink rock orchid is popular in Australian species orchid cultivation and is relatively easy to grow. It can successfully be grown on bark, fixed onto rock, or in a fast-draining medium of coarse bark and river pebbles. It grows best in a warm, sunny position and prefers relatively high humidity during its growing period of August to March. It is adapted to Australia’s dry east coast winters, and flowers best after a period of dry dormancy. It is available from specialist orchid nurseries but, like many Australian native plants, it is illegal to collect specimens growing in the wild.

Type:

Feb 20, 1968 s.coll. [s.n.] K001089618 Unknown type material

Ref:

orchidspecies.com

ipni.org

powo.science.kew.org 

orchids.fandom.com

en.wikipedia.org