Cymbidium

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Cymbidium [sim-BID-dee-um] ...

A genus of orchid containing about 50 species.

The name is derived from Greek word "kumbos" [meaning hole /cavity] ... which refers to the form at the base of the lip.

It is native to tropical and subtropical Asia ... North-India, China, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Borneo) and North-Australia, usually growing in cooler climates at high elevation.

Cymbidiums tend to grow more leaves than most orchids. Roughly eight long, green, narrow leaves originate from the sheath of each pseudobulb. Cymbidium plants are sympodial. They bloom during the winter, and each plant can have up to fifteen or more flowers. The fantastic range of colors for this genus include white, green, yellowish-green, cream, yellow, brown, pink, and red (and there may be markings of other color shades at the same time), with the exception of blue and black. The flowers last about ten weeks. They have a waxy texture. The rounded sepals and petals have about the same dimensions. They show very diverse color patterns, different for every species. One feature that makes the plant so popular is the fact that it can survive during cold temperatures (as low as 7˚ C or 45˚ F). Orchid hobbyists in temperate climates appreciate the fact that they can bloom in winter, when few other orchids are blooming.


Shot taken on the April 24, 2007.