Is this a dendobium? If so, which group?

[nutgirl]

Originally Posted by gnathaniel

Nice one, Maureen! Any fragrance detectable yet?

Hard to say what exactly it is, aside from a hybrid involving section Dendrobium (ie 'nobile type'). These have been extensively hybridized for over a century and some may be 10+ generations from a species in certain directions of their lineage. I think some also have contributions from sections Callista, Formosae and maybe others, making exact ID of an unlabeled plant pretty difficult...

Just based on bloom color and plant size I'd guess that the ancestry is predominantly moniliforme. Does the lip have kind of a 'pouchy' shape? That could also be a good clue to ancestry. The only species with that kind of lip that immediately comes to mind is moschatum, but I think there are a few others. It's also possible this is a recessive trait in some species that comes out in a hybrid even if not evident in the parents. I'll look through some books tonight to see if anything else jumps out at me... Thanks for posting the pictures!

--Nat

Hi Nat,

Yes, the fragrance is getting more noticable as it blooms. A nice sweet smell.

I looked up moschatum but it doesn't have the same lip. I'm sure you're right about it being a hybrid.
It seems to bloom on leafless canes, the ones with leaves (I assume they are last years) are putting out new canes.

I will use the "lots of water, warmth and fertilizer" method this summer and cut back next winter. It was grown pretty dry by it's previous owner.

Thanks for the info!

Maureen