Dendrobium speciosum

Object Details

Description: A well-know Australian native, this small to medium sized orchid can be found from the coast to 150 miles inland. It is a tough orchid which can stand frost, snow, dry winds in the winter, and scorching heat in the summer. D. speciosum prefers to grow in leaf mold on rocks in the open forest or near the base of cliffs, but can also be found growing in trees. There are many varieties of this orchid with their own growing ranges and forms, which have been thoroughly studied by enthusiasts.
Bloom Time (Northern Hemisphere): December to April; peak in February and March
Ethnobotanical Uses: Aboriginal Australians have used the pseudobulbs of this orchid as food.
Pollination Syndrome: Bee (Apis mellifera, Homalictus brisbanensis, Hylaeus disjuntus, Trigona carbonaria)
Provenance: From a cultivated plant not of known wild origin

Life Form: Lithophytic
Bloom Characteristics: Erect or pendant inflorescence is 4-24" (10-30.5 cm) long and can have up to 100 waxy, white flowers which do not open fully. Flowers are 3" (7.6 cm) across and long-lasting.
Foliage Characteristics: Leaves are flat, oblong, deep green, 2-10" (5-25.5 cm) long, and can last 10 years.
Fragrance: Hyacinth (when in full sun)

Common Name: King Orchid; Rock Lily; Sydney Rock Orchid; The Outstanding Dendrobium
Group: [vascular plants]
Class: Equisetopsida
Subclass: Magnoliidae
Superorder: Lilianae
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Epidendroideae
Genus: Dendrobium
Species: speciosum

Smithsonian Gardens

GUID (Link to Original Record): http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ax782d9b705-7796-4f5e-bb5e-b53898b785ae