Cymbidium aloifolium (L.) Sw.

Aloe-leafed cymbidium (en)

Species

Angiosperms > Asparagales > Orchidaceae > Cymbidium

Characteristics

Plants epiphytic, autotrophic. Pseudobulbs ovoid, bilaterally flattened, 3-6(-10) × 2.5-4 cm, usually enclosed in leaf bases. Leaves 4 or 5, lorate, 40-90 × 1.5-4(-6) cm, thickly leathery, articulate 8-16 cm from base, apex obtuse and unequally 2-lobed. Inflorescence arising from within sheaths at base of pseudobulb, pendulous, 20-60 cm; rachis (20-)25-35-flowered; floral bracts 2-5 mm. Flowers slightly fragrant, medium-sized; pedicel and ovary 12-20 mm; sepals and petals pale yellow to cream-yellow, with a broad, central maroon-brown stripe; lip white or cream-colored, with dense, maroon venation on lateral lobes and longitudinal maroon stripes on mid-lobe. Sepals spreading, narrowly oblong to narrowly elliptic, 15-20 × 4-6 mm, apex obtuse. Petals narrowly elliptic, 14-18 × 4-6 mm, apex obtuse to acute; lip subovate, 13-20 mm, not fused to basal margins of column, base slightly saccate, 3-lobed; lateral lobes acute, loosely clasping column and exceeding column and anther; mid-lobe recurved; disk minutely papillate or puberulent, with 2 sigmoid lamellae; lamellae usually broken in middle and inflated toward base and apex. Column slightly arcuate, 10-12 mm; pollinia 2. Capsule oblong-ellipsoid, 35-65 × 20-30 mm. Fl. Apr-May, fr. Aug. 2n = 40*.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support epiphyte
Foliage retention evergreen
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) 0.75 - 1.0
Mature height (meter) 0.5 - 1.0
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color -
Fruiting months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

Light 4-6
Soil humidity 2-5
Soil texture -
Soil acidity 4-6
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 9-11

Usage

Uses medicinal
Edible -
Therapeutic use Antifungal agents (root), Emetic (unspecified), Purgative (unspecified), Demulcent (unspecified), Cathartics (unspecified), Demulcents (unspecified), Diet, food, and nutrition (unspecified), Emetics (unspecified)
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Can be grown by divisions or seedlings.
Mode divisions seedlings
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Flower

Cymbidium aloifolium flower picture by Kaushik Kumar Mech (cc-by-sa)
Cymbidium aloifolium flower picture by Kaushik Kumar Mech (cc-by-sa)
Cymbidium aloifolium flower picture by Pao Wright (cc-by-sa)

Distribution

Cymbidium aloifolium world distribution map, present in Andorra, Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Viet Nam

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:624936-1
WFO ID wfo-0000934297
COL ID 336F4
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID 629508
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR) Link

Synonyms

Cymbidium intermedium Cymbidium simulans Epidendrum aloides Epidendrum pendulum Aerides borassi Cymbidium erectum Cymbidium pendulum Epidendrum aloifolium Cymbidium aloifolium