Dendrobium sulphureum var. sulphureum

This is another high-altitude species from New Guinea in the Oxyglossum section of Dendrobium.  Like most of the other plants in the section, it needs cool temperatures, good light and humidity, and also like the species in the section has triangular flowers in bright but unusual color combinations, in this case, pale yellow flowers with a dark green column and an orange mid-lobe.  The canes are 13 cm long and the 3 cm flowers come two or three at time and last many months.  Even after the leaves fall from the canes they continue to produce flowers.

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Dendrobium sulphureum

My Dendrobium sulphureum is in full bloom once again with its unusually colored flowers.  This species belongs to the Oxyglossum section of the genus Dendrobium, but is a larger plant than many in that section.  My plant has cane-like growths 13 cm tall with two or three 3 cm flowers at the tip of each growth.  Each cane continues to produce flowers for several years, even after the leaves have fallen away.

There are three varieties of this species, distinguished primarily on the basis of growth habit.  My plant was obtained as variety sulphureum and does indeed appear to be that variety.  Its longer canes distinguish it from variety cellulosum and its softer leaves from variety rigidifolium.  The soft yellow color of the flowers with their green, orange-tipped labellum are its most attractive feature, however.

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Dendrobium sulphureum

In a previous post I described this species which is almost always in bloom, and which like so many of the New Guinea Dendrobiums, has very long-lasting flowers: http://orchidsinbloom-ron.blogspot.com/2010/08/dendrobium-sulphureum-var-sulphureum.html.  The plant now has more flowers than ever and I thought I'd post some new pictures.  As the pictures show, the flowers are produced in pairs and usually stand side-by-side facing opposite directions.

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Dendrobium sulphureum var. sulphureum

This is another miniature Dendrobium from section Oxyglossum and from New Guinea.  My plant is about 6 cm tall and produces 3-4 cm flowers.  As with all the flowers in this section they are very long-lasting and the plant seems to be always in bloom.  I grow it mounted and give it as much light as I possibly can, keeping it just inches below the HO lights in the orchidarium in which it grows.

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