Dendrobium simondii Gagnep. 1950 SECTION Stachyobium

Plant and Inflorescence Inflorescence and stem

Photos by © Cholon and The RV Orchidworks Orchidtalk Website

Common Name Sikin's Dendrobium

Flower Size .8 to 1.2" [2 to 3cm]

Found in southern Vietnam without elevationsl data as a miniature to small sized, warm to cool growing epiphyte with basally swollen stems that measure over 4" tall and carrying broadest towards apex and slightly obliquely bilobulate apex leaves that blooms from between the apical leaves on a 3 to 5" [7.5 to 12.5 cm] long, 8 to 15 flowered inflorescence.

There are 3 very similar species if only the flowers are looked at, D delacourii, D simondii and D venustum. They are easily separated when the plants are taken into account. D delacourtii is 4" [10 cm] and under and has a terminal inflorescence carrying flowers with a wide open lip that is not inrolled around the column. D simondii is a 4 to 12" [10 to 30 cm] plant with broadest towards apex and slightly obliquely bilobulate apex leaves and has an inflorescence that arises from the upper leaf axils and has flowers with the mid lobe of the lip that is open around the column. D venustum has a 12 to 18" [30 to 45 cm] stem and has narrowly oblong leaves and blooms on a terminal flowering inflorescence with the lip more closed around the column

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Identification of the Orchids [Orchidaceae Juss.] Vietnam Averyanov 1994; Orchid Species Culture Dendrobium Bakers 1996;

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