Species of the Month – April 2016
Dendrobium fimbriatum Hooker 1823 SECTION Holochrysa
Distribution:
This species is a medium to large sized, warm to cold growing epiphyte,lithophyte or terrestrial found in North East India, Western Himalayan range to Malaysian peninsula.
Canes are yellow green and are long, erect or pendulous or arching.
Culture:
This species has two distinct seasons in its natural habitat. During its growing season it receives copious rain fall and fertilizaton and winters are dry and cold. This species is decidous in nature (looses its leaves in the 2nd year of growth) and remains dormant during winter and blooms in early spring on upper nodes 
of its leafless canes.
Each raceme can have up to 20 fragrant flowers.
Fairly easy to grow in Bangalore. Grow the plant in bright light and keep it moist and fertilize during the growing season. Withhold fertilization during winter and regularly mist the canes to keep the canes from shrivelling.
Blooms once a year in spring and blooms can last 2-3 weeks in good care.
Could be grown as mounted or potted but does well if mounted.
This species has two varieties
1) regular form which has a orange throat
2) var. oculatum with a brown throat
var.oculatum is more common and regular form is rare.
Article and Photos by: Mr. Sriram Kumar