# What is this orchid?!



## Davidg93 (Aug 25, 2011)

Hello everyone! 

Thank you for the warm welcome you all offered me to the forum. I have recently acquired a new orchid from a friend who has decided to pass the plant on to me. I re-potted the plant and have posted a photo here. 

Does anyone know what kind of orchid this is? I notice that it seems to have what may be "baby" orchids with roots coming off of it, and assume these could be removed for propagation? Also, there are what seem to be dried up stalks, similar to what i have seen on a cattleya orchid, but are not very supple, should they be removed? I think these probably had flowers on them at one point. 

Any help is greatly appreciated! -David


----------



## Ernie (Aug 25, 2011)

No idea, it's not a Paph. 

Kidding. Looks like a Dendrobium to me. Hard to tell what kind exactly w/o a flower.


----------



## Shiva (Aug 25, 2011)

It's either Den kingianum or one of it's hybrids. Small colourful flowers with a strong perfume in late winter and spring. Needs a cool period in winter and a dry rest, which means watering every two to three weeks. Put on sunny window shelf that gets cold at night. Put it outdoor in summer. Just about any porous mix will do.


----------



## SlipperKing (Aug 25, 2011)

Its a "cane" dendrobium which grows kikis or baby plants from the top. You can remove them when they have their own roots then pot them up. The other stalks are old flower stalks. Just cut them off short without cutting into the green part of the plant, toss out. Probable a hybrid den probably no ID possible but a good plant to practice on (growing)


----------



## Paphman910 (Aug 25, 2011)

It reminds me of Dendrobium kingianum of some sort!

Paphman910


----------



## Paph_LdyMacBeth (Aug 25, 2011)

Ditto on the kingianumish Dendrobium


----------



## Davidg93 (Aug 25, 2011)

I think you are right Shiva and SlipperKing, my friend did mention that the flowers were very fragrant and small. Great! Thank you for the advice, this sounds like a great plant for me here in Northern Florida; especially since we get a nice "cool" winter!


----------



## Braem (Aug 26, 2011)

Davidg93 said:


> Hello everyone!
> 
> Thank you for the warm welcome you all offered me to the forum. I have recently acquired a new orchid from a friend who has decided to pass the plant on to me. I re-potted the plant and have posted a photo here.
> 
> ...


My take on this is: Dendrobium ... When it flowers, we will be happy to get you a species name.


----------



## JeanLux (Aug 26, 2011)

very similar!!! => http://www.slippertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6724&highlight=dendrobium

Jean


----------



## Shiva (Aug 26, 2011)

I have several kingianum in my collection and find them very different in shape than other cane dendrobiums. They're like small palm trees with swollen bases tapering up to three to five short leaves. Many hybrids retain this shape but grow much bigger. I have one kinginanum that has produced more than 200 keikis and lots of flowers since I have it. I gave away so many of these keikis I don't know what to do with them anymore.


----------



## Roy (Aug 26, 2011)

Looks like a Dend. Delicatum to me.


----------



## Davidg93 (Aug 26, 2011)

My plant has a few baby keikis on it, will it hurt it if I leave them on there? Or is it best to break them off and re-pot them or give them away?


----------



## Shiva (Aug 26, 2011)

Roy said:


> Looks like a Dend. Delicatum to me.



Den. delicatum looks exactly like a supersize Den kingianum. I have one that says xdelicatum on the label, which would mean a natural hybrid. I would love to have comments from Dr Braem on this. The plant in the picture doesn't look as big as my xdelicatum.


----------



## Shiva (Aug 26, 2011)

Davidg93 said:


> My plant has a few baby keikis on it, will it hurt it if I leave them on there? Or is it best to break them off and re-pot them or give them away?



I remove every keikis on mines. Someone told me once that flower production is lessened if too much energy goes into keikis.


----------



## NYEric (Aug 27, 2011)

Yep dendrobium, I dont cut off the keikis, maybe thats why they dont bloom!


----------



## Hakone (Aug 27, 2011)

look like normally Dendrobium kingianum


----------



## SlipperFan (Aug 27, 2011)

Davidg93 said:


> I think you are right Shiva and SlipperKing, my friend did mention that the flowers were very fragrant and small. Great! Thank you for the advice, this sounds like a great plant for me here in Northern Florida; especially since we get a nice "cool" winter!



Did he/she mention the color of the flowers? Kingianum is typically pink, whereas delicatum is white.


----------



## Davidg93 (Aug 27, 2011)

I think she said that the flowers are pinkish purple. Is Kingianum still a dendrobium variety?


----------



## Shiva (Aug 28, 2011)

It's indeed a Den species.


----------



## SlipperFan (Aug 29, 2011)

Davidg93 said:


> I think she said that the flowers are pinkish purple. Is Kingianum still a dendrobium variety?


Pinkish-purple would certainly be kingianum or a kingianum hybrid. Be sure to post a photo of the flowers when it does bloom. Chances are it can then be ID'd for sure.


----------



## Kevin (Aug 29, 2011)

Davidg93 said:


> I think she said that the flowers are pinkish purple. Is Kingianum still a dendrobium variety?



Yes, kingianum is the species and Dendrobium the genus - _Dendrobium kingianum_. Just Google that name, and you should come up with lots of pics to compare with yours.


----------

