''Dendrochilum cobbianum'', or Cobb's dendrochilum, described by

Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach (Dresden, 3 January 1823 – Hamburg, 6 May 1889) was a botanist and the foremost Germany, German orchidologist of the 19th century. His father Ludwig Reichenbach, Heinrich Gottlieb Ludwig Reichenbach (author of ''Ico ...

in 1880, is an epiphytic orchid occurring in the Philippines, growing on moss-covered trees. It can sometimes occur as a lithophyte growing on rocks at altitudes above 1200 m.

Description

It possesses white to green-white, creamy

flower Flowers, also known as blooms and blossoms, are the reproductive structures of flowering plants ( angiosperms). Typically, they are structured in four circular levels, called whorls, around the end of a stalk. These whorls include: calyx, m ...

s with yellow throats that emerge alongside new growth. These flowers have a diameter of 1.8 cm, rather large for this genus. They are fragrant with the scent of new mown hay. When in bloom a multitude of flowers are contained on arching

inflorescence In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a mai ...

s, with a length of about 50 cm. A single lanceolate

leaf A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the plant stem, stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leav ...

with prominent midrib sprouts from a conical, yellow

pseudobulb In botany, a pseudobulb is a storage organ found in many epiphytic and terrestrial sympodial orchids. It is derived from a thickening of the part of a stem between leaf nodes and may be composed of just one internode or several, termed ''heter ...

Cultivation

This species is easy to grow and generally prefers intermediate temperatures and moderate light. It will generally grow very fast, usually doubling in size every year.

Cultivars

There are several cultivars available : *''Dendrochilum cobbianum'' 'Chartreuse Sentinel' (large flowers, sturdy succulent leaves) *''Dendrochilum cobbianum'' 'Fat Leaf' (chartreuse flowers with yellow lip) *''Dendrochilum cobbianum'' 'Gold Chain' (with glittering, golden, fragrant flowers) *''Dendrochilum cobbianum'' 'Green white' (with long spikes of fragrant, green-white flowers) *''Dendrochilum cobbianum'' 'Sentinel 1' (yellow flowers) *''Dendrochilum cobbianum'' 'Sentinel's Poco' (miniature creamy flowers with yellow lip) *''Dendrochilum cobbianum'' 'Yellow Sentinel' (yellow flower with darker yellow lip)

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5256727 cobbianum Endemic orchids of the Philippines Epiphytic orchids