Smithsonian Gardens

Common name: The Yellow Flowered Dendrobium

Family: Orchidaceae subfam. Epidendroideae (Orchid)

Synonym: Dendrobium flaviflorum

Distribution: Himalaya to SC China, Taiwan

Habitat: Sandy gulches on south facing rocks; 1000-2150

Life form: Epiphytic

Bloom Time (northern hemisphere): June to August

Bloom characteristics: Inflorescence is 3" long with 4-6 glossy, short-lived yellow to orange flowers. Flowers are 2.8" across.

Fragrance: Fragrant

Medicinal/pharmaceutical: Used as a traditional medicine in China to reduce fevers, for eyes, and for the immune system. Stems of the plant are currently being studied for their cancer fighting properties.

Description: This medium to large sized orchid has beautiful flowers, but it’s its stems which the plant is being studied for. Used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries, this orchid is in danger of being over-collected from the wild, and disappearing. Recent studies on the medicinal effects of wild populations of this orchid versus lab-grown orchids however, show lab-cultured orchids to be just as effective. This is good news not only for D. chryseum, but all medicinal orchids which could be on the brink of extinction from over-collecting. New techniques could give wild orchids, and all the insects and animals that depend on them, a break.