Dendrobium leonis is widely distributed in Southeast Asia. Its natural habitats include Borneo, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Sumatra, north-east and the peninsula in Thailand and Vietnam.
Dendrobium leonis also called as The Lion-Like Dendrobium, Aporum leonis, Callista leonis, is a species of the genus Dendrobium. This species was described by Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach in 1864.
IDENTIFY DENDROBIUM LEONIS
Dendrobium leonis is widely distributed in Southeast Asia. Its natural habitats include Borneo, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Sumatra, north-east and the peninsula in Thailand and Vietnam. These plants are usually lowland epiphytes, sometimes even at heights of 1450 m. In Sarawak, they grow on limestone rocks. In Malaysia they are found at low altitudes, in fruit trees, in dry forests, but also in open spaces.
It is a miniature to small sized, hot to cool growing epiphyte, which can reaching 10-25 cm in height, or occasional lithophyte on limestone cliffs with clustered, leafy, flattened, 10-23 cm long stems that are completely enveloped by the many, distichous, succulent, alternating, triangular, overlapping, dark, imbricating, dull green, 1.5-2.5 cm long leaves.
The Lion-Like Dendrobium blooms in the spring, summer and fall on an axillary, short, single flowered inflorescence arising at the apex of the imbricating canes with 1 to 2 fleshy, fragrant flowers. The flowers are 1.5-2.0 cm long. The petals of both whorls are dark cream-yellow or pale-green with pink or dark purple stripes at the back. They are narrow, rounded and directed forward. The rounded, longitudinal lip is shorter than the petals of the outer whorl. It usually has an orange-yellow band in the middle, ending in a small thickening with a purple spot below the narrowing and has a tuft of white hairs at the tip. The short spine has an orange spot at the base.
DENDROBIUM LEONIS 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 leonis needs a light level of 20000-30000 lux.
Temperature:
The average temperature of the day throughout the year is 31-32 ° C, night 22-23 ° C, giving a daily difference of 8-10 ° C.
Humidity:
From spring until the end of autumn, The Lion-Like Dendrobium needs the humidity of 85%, in winter it drops to around 80%.
Substrate, growing media and repotting:
Dendrobium leonis is recommended to mount on tree-fern rootstock or cork with high humidity and watering is carried out at least once a day in summer. They can also be grow in small pots or hanging baskets filled with any loose, fast drying substrate. Repotting can be done at any time as soon as new roots grow.
Watering:
Precipitation is abundant throughout the year, but there are fewer in 2 winter months. The plants should be evenly moist, with only little drying between waterings.
Fertilizer:
It is recommended to weekly or every two weeks use 1/4-1/2 dose of orchid fertilizer throughout the year.
Rest period:
Watering and fertilization should be slightly reduced in winter, especially if Dendrobium leonis are grown in dark, short days at moderate latitudes. However, they can not be allowed to dry completely.
COMMENTS