Dendrobium cariniferum Rchb.f.

Dendrobium cariniferum Rchb.f. is widely distributed in Southeast Asia. Natural habitats extend from the mountains of north-eastern India, where these plants meet at heights of 1800 m, through Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and southwestern China. In North-West Thailand plants meet at heights of 1100-1530 m.

Dendrobium cariniferum Rchb.f., Gard. Chron. 1869: 611 (1869).

Dendrobium cariniferum Rchb.f.; Photo by Yosuke Oda

its native range is Assam to China (S. Yunnan) and Indo-China.

Synonyms:

Callista carinifera (Rchb.f.) Kuntze

Callista lubbersiana (Rchb.f.) Kuntze

Dendrobium lubbersianum Rchb.f.

Dendrobium schrautii Schildh.

VietNamese name:

Rạng vàng, Hoàng thảo xương rồng.

English name:

The Keel-Carrying Dendrobium

Thailand name:

Ueang sae dong - Ueang ngoen daeng - Ueang kachok - Ueang tueng

China name:

Chi E Shi Hu - 翅萼石斛

Description:

Stems golden yellow when dry, cylindric or sometimes enlarged and fusiform, 10-28 cm, ca. 15 mm in diam. at middle, fleshy and thick, unbranched, with more than 6 nodes, internodes 1.5-2 cm. Leaves several, distichous, oblong or ligulate-oblong, to 11 × 1.5-4 cm, leathery, abaxial surface and leaf sheaths densely black hirsute, base decurrent forming clasping sheaths, apex obtuse and slightly unequally bilobed. Inflorescences subterminal, 1- or 2-flowered; peduncle 5-10 mm, basal sheaths 3 or 4; floral bracts ovate, 4-5 mm, acute. Pedicel and ovary ca. 3 cm; ovary tricarinate. Flowers orange-scented, spreading, thickly textured; ovary yellowish green, sepals pale yellowish white, mentum pale yellow tinged orange-red, petals white, lateral lobes of lip orange-red, mid-lobe yellow, disk reddish orange, column white tinged reddish orange, anther cap white. Sepals dorsally carinate; dorsal sepal ovate-lanceolate, ca. 25 × 9 mm, apex acute; lateral sepals obliquely ovate-triangular, nearly as large as dorsal sepal; mentum angulate, decurved near apex or sigmoid, ca. 20 mm, forming spur. Petals oblong-elliptic, ca. 20 × 10 mm, 5-veined, acute; lip trumpet-shaped, 3-lobed; lateral lobes subobovate, embracing column, front margin denticulate; mid-lobe nearly transversely oblong, front margin irregularly notched, apex concave; disk shortly fimbriate along veins. Column ca. 7 mm; anther cap subspherical, front margin densely papillate-hairy. Capsule ovoid, to 3 cm in diam.

Flower Size:

5.0 cm.

Distribution:

Assam, China South-Central, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam (Đà Lạt, Langbiang, Hà Giang).

Ecological:

Mixed and coniferous forests on mossy branches of old, dwarf, gnarled trees and primary montane forests at elevations of 450 to 1850 m. 

Flowering time:

Blooms in the spring.

Culture:

Plant grows in intermediate to warm temperatures with medium amounts of light. Keep plant moist and fertilize during growth season. During winter withold watering until new shoots appear. Mist the surface of the potting media to prevent pseudobulbs from drying. Grow in a well drain mix of sphagnum moss or medium fir bark.

Type: