dendrobium lindleyi?

[giuseppeorchids]

hello, I've took a few month ago these orchids, without flowers... i think they could be dendrobium linleyi (or aggregatum) but I'm not very sure...
So who are they? thanks a lot

[Silje]

Yes. They look like they could be Dendrobium lindleyi

I think they're also called Dendrobium var.aggregatum. Same plant, different name.

I love these! The flowers make me happy.

[giuseppeorchids]

do you think also they are dendrobium lindleyi? I wasn't very sure, but if you also say, now I'm sure

[Aussie42]

I've been looking into this plant recently. So far as I'm aware there are three very similar orchids:

1. Den lindleyi - bulbs to a maximum length of around 2 1/2 inches, tend to be rounded at the leaf end (unless they've been starved of nutrients to encourage flowering), multiple blooms on spikes and flowers to about 1 inch diameter;

2. Den lindleyi var majus - longer bulbs than Den lindleyi (4 inches plus), appear to be more pointed on the end, multiple blooms on spikes and flowers over 1 inch - not sure how large, but larger than lindleyi, still waiting for mine to flower;

3. Den jenkinsii - a mini, looks extremely similar to Den lindleyi var majus but bulbs only to about an inch high, small spikes with 2-3 flowers the same size as the blooms on Den lindleyi. A mini-aggregatum.

So for an ID on this, size IS important...

If anyone thinks the foregoing is incorrect, please set me straight, it's just my understanding on the aggregatum group.

Cheers,
Aus.

[Island Girl]

Giuseppe, I would also agree, I have one called Den. aggregatum, and it looks exactly like yours, but there are a lot of similar ones, with subtle differences... So, I may be wrong, idk.

Originally Posted by Aussie42

I've been looking into this plant recently. So far as I'm aware there are three very similar orchids:

1. Den lindleyi - bulbs to a maximum length of around 2 1/2 inches, tend to be rounded at the leaf end (unless they've been starved of nutrients to encourage flowering), multiple blooms on spikes and flowers to about 1 inch diameter;

2. Den lindleyi var majus - longer bulbs than Den lindleyi (4 inches plus), appear to be more pointed on the end, multiple blooms on spikes and flowers over 1 inch - not sure how large, but larger than lindleyi, still waiting for mine to flower;

3. Den jenkinsii - a mini, looks extremely similar to Den lindleyi var majus but bulbs only to about an inch high, small spikes with 2-3 flowers the same size as the blooms on Den lindleyi. A mini-aggregatum.

So for an ID on this, size IS important...

If anyone thinks the foregoing is incorrect, please set me straight, it's just my understanding on the aggregatum group.

Cheers,
Aus.

So Aussie, which category would the Den. aggregatum fall into? (Out of curiosity) the first? And the aggregatum var. majus would fall into number 2 then?

[Bud]

You have a hunch....and chances are these maybe right....BUT....you need to see the flower....and you will not see flowers if you don't give it a proper winter rest....

[Island Girl]

^ Good point Bud.... We won't be able to tell u for sure until it blooms, and from what I've read, all of these similar species require a winter rest to bloom. The amount of flowers, as well as they way they are presented, will also tip u off as to what species it is... As was said above, the jenkinsii only flowers 2-3 flowers per stem (no branching), however, the aggregatum has many flowers, and with this sp., the inflorence branches as well, giving you even more flowers. I recently acquired a Den. aggregatum, so I've been researching it a bit lately.... Hence my question to Aussie42

@ Silje, their flowers make me happy too! Like little rays of sunshine! I love this species... That's why I was soo happy to find it with the bag babies in Lowes!

Edited to add...
Also, for those of you that have grown and flowered this species, maybe you could advise us - Giuseppe, and myself, on how to go about giving these a proper "winter rest"? Giuseppe... I don't know if you know how to go about it or not, but thought that if u didn't, it would help u out a little, b/c I know at least for myself, I could use some advice from seasoned growers... Because for me at least, I don't think it would hurt any to hear how others do it.

[Bud]

Just remember I am in Manhattan New York….your grow zone might differ a lot from mine….you have to adjust by calculating the month you get frost.
For your kind of Dendrobium:
In mid-September, I will start moving my winter rest orchids to their own rack, away from
the other racks in the room to avoid any overspray. They are getting watered at present but by fall it will be lighter misting...and it will stop on Halloween. After that, the rack
will get only light misting once every two weeks or so until Valentine’s Day.
They need a cooler temperature with bright light and little to no watering and no fertilizer at all.
If yours are still in bloom, wait until out of bloom.
Types of Dendrobiums:
Type I (deciduous, so-called nobile type) intermediate to warm in summer, cool to cold
in winter, full winter rest. Examples: D. nobile, D. chrysanthum, D. wardianum.
Type II (deciduous) intermediate to warm all year, full winter rest. Examples: D.
speciosum, D. aggregatum, D. findlayanum, D. heterocarpum, D. superbum (anosmum),
D. parishii, D. pierardii.
Type III (persistent) intermediate to warm summer, cool in winter, no winter rest - simply
reduce water. Examples: D. densiflorum, D. fimbriatum, D. thyrsiflorum
Type IV (persistent) cool all year. Short suspension of water early autumn. Examples: D.
bellatulum, D. secundum.
Type V (persistent) Intermediate all year. No rest. Examples: D. antelope and hybrids of
type V and type VI.
Type VI (persistent) warm growing all year. Restrict water twice during year. Examples:
D. phalaenopsis, D. bigibbum, D. superbiens.

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[Aussie42]

Originally Posted by Island Girl

Giuseppe, I would also agree, I have one called Den. aggregatum, and it looks exactly like yours, but there are a lot of similar ones, with subtle differences... So, I may be wrong, idk.



So Aussie, which category would the Den. aggregatum fall into? (Out of curiosity) the first? And the aggregatum var. majus would fall into number 2 then?

Hi Mary Linn.

"Aggregatum" is interchangeable with "lindleyi" - so both 1 and 2 could be called Den aggregatum or Den lindleyi.

Couple of pics attached. The plant on the right is type 1, I'm hoping the one on the left will turn out to be type 2 - var majus - but have to wait and see. I was at a friend's place and he has all three, and there was a distinct difference between his types 1 and 2 (and 3, of course - tiny little thing, he had about 8 large plants mounted on a very large board).

Type 1 is the most common, type 2 less common and type 3 quite hard to find.

Oh, and I don't rest my plants over winter, I made the decision years ago to be nice to them and they flower well regardless.

Cheers,
Aus.

[Aussie42]

To follow up, I think I'm right but don't have a comparison with the standard Den lindleyi at the moment - about a week away. So the plant above on the left appears to me to be Den lindleyi var majus as I'd hoped...

35 mm across the labellum, which is 1.37 inches. I shall put a ruler across the others when they flower soon but am fairly sure it will be an inch tops, probably less.

Cheers,
Aus.