Dendrobium crumenatum (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Dendrobium crumenatum Sw.

Protologue: J. Bot. (Schrader) 2(2): 237 (1801).

Synonyms

• Dendrobium cumulatum Kraenzl. (1855),
• Dendrobium caninum (Burm.f.) Merr. (1921).

Vernacular names

• Pigeon orchid, white dove orchid, pigeon flower (En)
• Indonesia: anggrak merpati (Javanese)
• Malaysia: daun sepulah tulang
• Thailand: waai tamoi (central, peninsular), buap klaang haao (northern)
• Vietnam: thạch hộc, tuyết mai.

Distribution

From Sri Lanka to the Andaman Islands, Burma (Myanmar), Thailand, Indo-China, southern China, the Philippines, Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Ambon and Timor.

Uses

In Peninsular Malaysia, the pounded leaves and fruits are applied to boils and pimples, while the juice of the heated pseudo-bulbs is used for problems with infected ears.

Observations

• A robust, branched herb, stems slender, elongated, 60-90 cm long, glabrous, pseudo-bulbs conical, 8-12 cm × 2 cm.
• Leaves scattered, oblong, 5-8 cm × 1.5-2.5 cm, apex rounded, slightly emarginate.
• Inflorescence 2-many-flowered.
• Flowers white, about 4 cm in diameter, very fragrant, dorsal sepal ovate-lanceolate, 25 mm × 8 mm, lateral sepals slightly wider, acuminate, forming a conical, acute, incurved mentum, petals linear-oblong, about 20 mm × 7 mm, lip pale yellow, 33 mm × 14 mm, slightly trilobed, edge crisped or fimbriate, with 3-5 longitudinal ribs.

D. crumenatum occurs in humid regions, or regions with a short dry season, in open forest and on wayside trees, sometimes on boulders, locally numerous, from sea-level up to 1000 m altitude.

Selected sources

• [407] Heyne, K., 1950. De nuttige planten van Indonesië [The useful plants of Indonesia]. 3rd Edition. 2 volumes. W. van Hoeve, 's-Gravenhage, the Netherlands/Bandung, Indonesia. 1660 + CCXLI pp.
• [459] Huxley, A., Griffiths, M. & Levy, M., 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening. 4 volumes. The MacMillan Press Ltd., London, United Kingdom. 3353 pp.
• [786] Perry, L.M., 1980. Medicinal plants of East and Southeast Asia. Attributed properties and uses. MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States & London, United Kingdom. 620 pp.
• [810] Quisumbing, E., 1978. Medicinal plants of the Philippines. Katha Publishing Co., Quezon City, the Philippines. 1262 pp.
• [946] Sobhana, A. & Rajeevan, P.K., 1993. In vitro multiple shoot production in Dendrobium as influenced by cytokinins. Journal of Ornamental Horticulture 1(2): 1—5.

Main genus page

• Dendrobium

Authors

• Diah Sulistiarini