NOID Dendrobium species - What is it?

[shadytrake]

Any ideas about this Den species? I'm orchid sitting and the lady who owns it lost the tag...it's in the hospital because she basically was killing it.

I'm hoping she will give it to me if I save it.

I sure would like someone to point me in the right direction for it care-wise. Currently I have it in the partial shady section of the Shadehouse/Greenhouse because it was in such poor shape.

NOID_Den5 - Orchid Board Galleries

NOID_Den4 - Orchid Board Galleries

NOID_Den3 - Orchid Board Galleries

hope it doesn't croak.

[gnathaniel]

Hard to say for sure from the photos, but it kind of looks like a Den. loddigesii. If it is, it's not too terribly unhealthy-looking. Older canes of these go deciduous but often still flower for several years. Culture-wise I grow mine as bright as I can get in a windowsill, with water about every other day and weak fertilizer about every other week this time of year. They seem healthy and vigorous though I could probably get them to grow faster with somewhat more frequent fertilizer. This is one of those Dendrobiums that is said to bloom better (in spring to early summer) with a bright, mostly dry winter rest with no fertilizer. They seem to keiki very freely, and I've seen some gorgeous specimens of these mounted on plaques or balls of treefern. Two of mine are from divisions obtained this past spring and they've been establishing very nicely, one in a small basket with treefern and sphagnum and one on a chunk of cork with a sphagnum pad. My older one is potted in straight bark and seems to like that fine, too. Hope this helps!

Nat

[cneos]

There is too little for me to even venture a guess. Any chance that the lady who owns the plant has pictures of it in flower, or least with leaves on it?