Dendrobium jenkinsii is widely distributed in India and south-east Asia. Its range extends to the east of northwestern India, including Sikkim, Bhutan, Assam, Myanmar, northern Thailand, Laos and Yunnan Province in southwest China.
Dendrobium jenkinsii, also called as Jenkins's Dendrobium (named to honor the Officer of the East India Trading Company), Callista jenkinsii, Dendrobium aggregatum var jenkinsii, Dendrobium marseillei is a species of the genus Dendrobium. This species was described by Wallich ex Lindley in 1839.
IDENTIFY DENDROBIUM JENKINSII
Dendrobium jenkinsii is widely distributed in India and south-east Asia. Its range extends to the east of northwestern India, including Sikkim, Bhutan, Assam, Myanmar, northern Thailand, Laos and Yunnan Province in southwest China. This Dendrobium grows usually on thick branches of deciduous trees. The altitude of the habitat of this orchid ranges from 500 m above sea level in northeastern India to 2000 m in the more southerly regions.
It is a small sized, warm to cool growing epiphyte, which reaching a height of 6-10 cm, with clustered, branching, fusiform to ovoid-oblong, 4 ribbed, somewhat flattened, 3-5 cm long pseudobulbs carrying a single, terminal, thickened, leathery, rigid, oval to oblong, obtuse, notched, 3-5 cm long leaves.
Jenkins's Dendrobium blooms in the early spring on a short to 6" (to 15 cm) long, arching to pendant, simultaneously 1 to 5 flowered racemes that arise from near the apex of the leafed psudobulb and carrying short-lived, wide open flowers. The flowers are quite large in comparison with the size of the whole plant, their diameter is 3 cm. The broad flakes of the inner whorl are much wider than the narrow flakes of the outer whorl. It has a heart-shaped lip completely covered with flecks. This species is often confused with Dendrobium lindleyii but this species has a few flowered inflorescence while the other has many flowers. It has a bilobed lip while Dendrobium lindleyi is entire. It has clustered, sulcate, ovoid, flattened pseudobulbs carrying a single, apical, ovate, thick, shiny, persistent leaf.
DENDROBIUM JENKINSII CARE AND CULTURE
Cultural information should only be used as a guide, and should be to be adapted to suit you. Your physical location; where you grow your plants, how much time you have to devote to their care, and many other factors, will need to be taken into account. Only then can you decide on the cultural methods that best suit you and your plants.
Light:
Dendrobium jenkinsii needs a light level of 25000-35000 lux.
Temperature:
The average temperature of the summer day is 29 ° C, night 22 ° C, giving a daily difference of 7 ° C. In winter, the average day temperature is 20-22 ° C, the night 7-9 ° C, with a daily difference of 13 ° C.
Humidity:
Jenkins's Dendrobium needs the humidity of almost 85% in summer, but in the fall and at the beginning of winter it drops to 70-80%, after which at the end of winter and at the beginning of spring it decreases even further to 55-60%.
Substrate, growing media and repotting:
Dendrobium jenkinsii are best grown on rootstocks made of wood, cork, or tree ferns, high humidity is ensured and watering is carried out at least once a day in summer. If they are grown in pots, it is necessary to provide any loose, quickly drying substrate. Repotting is best done at the beginning of spring, when new roots begin to grow.
Watering:
Precipitation is very abundant for 5 months and very low for 5 winter months, with short transitional periods in autumn and spring. The Dendrobium jenkinsii should be kept evenly wet from spring to early autumn, but when new growths reach maturity at the end of autumn, the amount of water should be gradually reduced.
Fertilizer:
Weekly 1/4-1/2 doses are recommended. From spring to mid-summer, you should use fertilizer enriched with nitrogen, and then until the end of autumn fertilizer enriched with phosphorus. In the summer, the plants should grow quickly to improve flowering the following year.
Rest period:
Cool, dry rest at an increased dose of light may be necessary to initiate flowering. In winter, Dendrobium jenkinsii should dry out between waterings, but they can not remain completely dry for too long. Before drying too much, the plants will protect the occasional morning fogging, especially in warm, sunny weather. Fertilization should be eliminated until spring, when more watering begins.
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