Dendrobium daklakense
Dendrobium daklakense is a showy, attractive Vietnamese orchid that has evaded discovery until very recently.
Species information
- Scientific name: Dendrobium daklakense N.T.Tich, Schuit. & J.J.Verm.
- Conservation status: Currently rated as Data Deficient (DD) according to IUCN Red List criteria, but likely to be endangered.
- Habitat: Grows as an epiphyte in semi-deciduous forest.
- Key uses: Potentially an ornamental.
- Known hazards: None known.
Taxonomy
- Class: Equisetopsida
- Subclass: Magnoliidae
- Superorder: Lilianae
- Order: Asparagales
- Family: Orchidaceae
- Genus: Dendrobium
About this species
Within the huge orchid genus Dendrobium, there is a relatively small group of about 40 species from tropical Asia known as the section Formosae. All species in this section have large, showy flowers with a thick, waxy texture, which are most commonly white with orange markings. These beautiful orchids are much sought-after by collectors and, as a result, most of these species were discovered and described long ago. It is therefore surprising that one of the most striking species in this section, Dendrobium daklakense, should have remained undetected until very recently. It was discovered in 2009 at an undisclosed locality in the Daklak province of southern Vietnam by a hunter, who passed it on to a local orchid grower, Duong Toan. Kew botanist André Schuiteman, Vietnamese botanist Nguyen Thien Tich and Jaap Vermeulen from NCB Naturalis in the Netherlands joined forces to describe this species, which was formally published in November 2010.
Geography & Distribution
Vietnam (Dak Lak Province). As Dendrobium daklakense has not yet been found in the wild by scientists, it is possible that the actual origin of this species lies elsewhere, perhaps in neighbouring Laos or Cambodia. Orchid smuggling is unfortunately a widespread practice in the region. This would not alter the fact that it is most likely a rare and local species.
Description
Line drawing of Dendrobium daklakense by Nguyen Thien Tich
Dendrobium daklakense is an epiphytic orchid with clustered, cane-like, leafy stems up to 60 cm long. The leaves are dark green, densely covered with blackish hairs, 8-9 cm long and about 2 cm wide. The leaf-sheaths are dull green with dense blackish hairs, especially along the margin. The inflorescences are very short, arising from the upper part of the stem, and have 5-7 flowers. The flowers appear in November, open very wide, and are about 5 cm across. The sepals and petals are pure white, glossy and thick. The lip is 3-lobed, orange-yellow with orange-red keels and warts, and white at the base. The side-lobes have orange-red raised lines, and the top part of the mid-lobe is sometimes whitish. The column and anther are white. The pollinia (small bodies formed by cohering pollen masses) are orange-yellow. The pedicel and ovary are white, becoming greenish-white towards the top.
Threats & Conservation
Dendrobium daklakense is probably quite rare in the wild, with a restricted distribution, because otherwise it would have been discovered much earlier. It is highly likely to become a popular species among amateur orchid growers and provided that plants are raised from seed, rather than collected from the wild, this will help to ensure its survival. At present there is no information concerning potential threats to its habitat.
Cultivation
There is, as yet, no experience with cultivation of Dendrobium daklakense outside Vietnam. Species of Dendrobium section Formosae tend to be among the more difficult members of this genus to cultivate.
Useful Links
References & Credits
Lavarack, B., Harris, W. & Stocker, G. (2000). Dendrobium and its relatives. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon
Sathapattayanon, A. (2008). Taxonomic revision of orchids in the genus Dendrobium Sw. section Formosae (Benth. & Hook.f.) Hook.f. in Thailand and adjacent areas. Thesis, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok.
Seidenfaden, G. (1985). Orchid genera in Thailand. XII. Dendrobium Sw. Op. Bot. 83: 1-295.
Tich, N.T., Schuiteman, A. & Vermeulen, J.J. (2010). Dendrobium daklakense; Eine neue Dendrobium-Art aus der Sektion Formosae aus Vietnam. Orchideenj. 17: 161--163. Read the article here (pdf).
Wood, H.P. (2006). The Dendrobiums. A.R.G. Gantner Verlag, Ruggell, Liechtenstein.
Kew Science Editor: André Schuiteman
Copyediting: Emma Tredwell
Kew would like to thank the following contributors: Nguyen Thien Tich, Duong Toan.
While every effort has been taken to ensure that the information contained in these pages is reliable and complete, the notes on hazards, edibility and suchlike included here are recorded information and do not constitute recommendations. No responsibility will be taken for readers’ own actions. Full website terms and conditions.
- Print friendly
- Send to a friend
-
Send to a friend Close
- Spread the word
-
Spread the word Close
- Blog this
- Donate
Follow Kew
Keep up to date with events and news from Kew
Related Species
- Angraecum sesquipedale (Christmas star orchid)
- Bulbophyllum macranthum
- Bulbophyllum nocturnum
- Cymbidium hookerianum
- Cypripedium calceolus (lady's slipper orchid)
- Dactylorhiza purpurella (northern marsh orchid)
- Dendrobium aphyllum
- Dendrobium bensoniae (Lady Benson’s dendrobium)
- Dendrobium nobile (noble dendrobium)
- Epidendrum montserratense (Montserrat orchid)
This species belongs to...
Fact Box
Actinidia deliciosa
kiwi fruit
Although native to China, it was commercialisation of this climber in New Zealand (and clever marketing under the name kiwi fruit) that made it the popular and widespread fruit it is today.
Related Tags
- edible
- medicinal
- clever
- extraordinary
- healing
- valuable
- collectable
- newly discovered
- unusual
- scarce
- rare
- discovered
- old
- around the world
- adventurous
- ancient
- historical
- interesting
- agriculture
- ancient
- amazing
- beautiful
- inspiring
- landscapes
- ornamental
- new
- flowering
- of use
- wild
- passionate
- tasty
- big
- weed
- common
- mysterious
- fruity
- pretty
- endangered
- irreplaceable
- massive
- ground breaking
- creative
- fun
- imaginative
- popular
- exotic
- dangerous
- poisonous
- fragrant
- vibrant
- spiky
- essential
- english garden
- garden plants
Plants & Fungi blogs from Kew
Mapping Coffee in Ethiopia part two
by: Paul Little, GIS team blog 08 May 2013
Kew photographer Paul Little has just returned from accompanying a field trip to the Highlands of Ethiopia to research the impact of climate change on the vital coffee crop. Read part two of his diary of the trip.
- 7 likes
- 0 comments
Seed collecting on Mount Kilimanjaro
by: Emma Williams, Millennium Seed Bank blog 18 Apr 2013
Kew Gardens botanist Emma Williams recounts her experiences on a recent seed collecting expedition to Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.
- 22 likes
- 2 comments
Mapping Coffee in Ethiopia part one
by: Paul Little, GIS team blog 16 Apr 2013
Kew photographer Paul Little has just returned from accompanying a field trip to the Highlands of Ethiopia to research the impact of climate change on the vital coffee crop. Read part one of his diary of the trip.
- 16 likes
- 2 comments
Observations on a strange vegetable - the snake gourd
by: Wolfgang Stuppy, Millennium Seed Bank blog 25 Jan 2013
He may be a Seed Morphologist but Wolfgang Stuppy of Kew's Millennium Seed Bank discovers there is more to the snake gourd than just some strange fruit and eccentric seeds.
- 42 likes
- 9 comments
Directors' Correspondence Digitisation Team
by: Helen Hartley, Library, Art and Archives blog 11 Dec 2009
Meet the Library Arts and Archives Digitisation Team and find out what they do.
- 41 likes
- 2 comments
Every species counts
by: Christina Harrison, Kew magazine blog 14 Sep 2012
Two new completed publications reveal just why every species matters to the health of our planet, and why we need to change our perception of their 'usefulness'.
- 34 likes
- 1 comment
