being rose-pink, the disk having three raised yellow crests. Flowers in late 
Spring. A2. B2. C2. D2. El. (ea) F8. 
Syn. Dend. rigidum, Onychium mutabile, Onychium rigidum. 
DENDROBIUM NOBILE. Native of Northern India, Tibet and China. 
Probably the most popular of all the Dendrobium species, some of its forms being 
magnificent. It is one of the easiest of all the Dendrobiums to cultivate, doing 
well under bushhouse conditions provided it is given a definite resting period 
during the winter months. The stems are aggregate (i.e., grow in clusters), 
are slightly flattened, erect, thickening upwards and up to about 20 inches in 
height. It is evergreen, the leaves being ovate-lanceolate, the apexes being bi- 
cuspidate and usually obtuse. The flowers are produced in groups of 2 or 3 
from the ripened stems. The two inch pedicels are somewhat curved at the top 
so that the flowers are inclined to nod. The sepals are acute oblong-lanceolate, 
while the petals are obovate-oblong, being much wider than the sepals. The lip is 
tubular at the base, but open and rounded in front. ‘The flowers are of good 
texture, the sepals and petals being whitish, tipped with rose-purple, the label- 
lum, which is velvety, is creamy with rosy tip and deep purple throat. They 
are about 34 inches across, and appear in Spring. Al. B3. C3. D3. El. or E2. (ea) 
F1. 
There are many varieties from the type, the principal being: — 
Var. alba. — Rare. Sepals and petals pure white, lip deeper cream with deep 
purple blotch in throat. 
Var. Ballianum. Sepals and petals waxy-white, slightly flushed with pink, the 
tips of the sepals and petals being more deeply shaded. Labellum pale pink, pale 
yellow in front, with a lilac apex. The usual purple blotch in the throat is 
yellow in this variety. 
Var. Cooksonianum. Differs from the type in having the petals coloured like the 
labellum; they are concave, and the margin is undulated—in fact, the petals are 
a form of quasi-labellum. The colouring is finer than in the type. 
Variety mobilius. Flowers larger than in the type. The sepals and petals are 
intense purple, except at the white bases; the labellum is larger, the margin 
at the rear portion being deep rose pink, while the throat is deep purple. 
Var. Sanderianum. Related to the preceding variety, but the sepals and petals 
are broader and shorter, the colour being richer in tone and the white area larger. 
The middle nerve is green. The lip has a large dark purple blotch surrounded by 
crimson purple. 
Variety Amesiae. Flowers white, the middle disk of the labellum being dark 
purple. 
Variety abliflorum. Same as var. Amesiae, but with small flowers. 
Var. Schneiderianum. Labellum suffused with yellow and densely spotted with 
purple in the throat. 
Var. Ashworthianum. Snowy white all over with the exception of the throat 
which is green. 
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