Smithsonian Gardens

Common name: Javier's Coelogyne, Javier's Dendrochilum

Family: Orchidaceae subfam. Epidendroideae (Orchid)

Synonym: Dendrochilum javierianum

Distribution: Philippines (Luzon)

Habitat: Mossy cloud forests; 6000-8000ft (1830-2440m)

Life form: Epiphytic

Bloom Time (northern hemisphere): December to January

Bloom characteristics: Pendant inflorescence is 6.5-8.5" (16.5-21.6 cm) long with many bright yellow flowers. Flowers are .5" (1.2 cm) across.

Description: This small orchid has had a bevy of names, mostly due to the complications of Latin. Named for Elias Javier, a Filipino orchid nurseryman, it was first given the epithet javieriense. This ending, however, should refer to a location. The correct name to indicate the orchid is named for a person would seem to be “javierii,” but Kew (a plant name authority) refers to it as “javierianum.” To add to all this confusion, this dendrochilum was frequently mislabeled in the early 2000s as Dendrochilum arachnites ‘Yellow,’ and is still often sold as Dendrochilum wenzellii ‘Yellow.’ All this aside, it is a lovely small orchid with vibrant yellow flowers.