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Useful Tropical Plants

Cymbidium canaliculatum

R.Br.

Orchidaceae

+ Synonyms

Common Name: Tiger Orchid

Cymbidium canaliculatum
Fruiting plant, growing as an epiphyte
Photograph by: Mark Marathon
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
Cymbidium canaliculatum Cymbidium canaliculatum Cymbidium canaliculatum Cymbidium canaliculatum

General Information

Cymbidium canaliculatum is an epiphytic, evergreen, perennial orchid that can grow about 50cm tall.
The edible swollen stem is sometimes gathered from the wild for local use.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

Range

Australia - Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland, New South Wales.

Habitat

An epiphytic plant, usually found in Eucalyptus forests[
144
Title
Wild Food in Australia.
Publication
 
Author
Cribb. A. B. and J. W.
Publisher
Fontana
Year
1976
ISBN
0-00-634436-4
Description
A very good pocket guide.
]. It grows on rotting wood in the hollows of trees in dry sclerophyll forest or woodland.

Properties

Edibility Rating *  *
Other Uses Rating *
HabitEvergreen Perennial
Height0.50 m
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details

A plant of tropical and subtropical areas.
Grows in the wild on rotting wood in the hollows of trees in dry sclerophyll forest or woodland.
The roots of the plant can sometimes grow down into a hollow tree for several metres[
144
Title
Wild Food in Australia.
Publication
 
Author
Cribb. A. B. and J. W.
Publisher
Fontana
Year
1976
ISBN
0-00-634436-4
Description
A very good pocket guide.
].

Edible Uses

The pseudobulb (actually a thickened stem) is edible raw or cooked[
46
Title
Dictionary of Economic Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Uphof. J. C. Th.
Publisher
Weinheim
Year
1959
ISBN
-
Description
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
,
144
Title
Wild Food in Australia.
Publication
 
Author
Cribb. A. B. and J. W.
Publisher
Fontana
Year
1976
ISBN
0-00-634436-4
Description
A very good pocket guide.
]. Rich in starch, though it is mucilaginous and insipid[
144
Title
Wild Food in Australia.
Publication
 
Author
Cribb. A. B. and J. W.
Publisher
Fontana
Year
1976
ISBN
0-00-634436-4
Description
A very good pocket guide.
]. The stem can be pounded or grated, and a starch washed out and allowed to settle[
144
Title
Wild Food in Australia.
Publication
 
Author
Cribb. A. B. and J. W.
Publisher
Fontana
Year
1976
ISBN
0-00-634436-4
Description
A very good pocket guide.
]. This is said to be very digestible and suitable for 'delicate' children[
144
Title
Wild Food in Australia.
Publication
 
Author
Cribb. A. B. and J. W.
Publisher
Fontana
Year
1976
ISBN
0-00-634436-4
Description
A very good pocket guide.
].

The brown fruit can be eaten raw[
144
Title
Wild Food in Australia.
Publication
 
Author
Cribb. A. B. and J. W.
Publisher
Fontana
Year
1976
ISBN
0-00-634436-4
Description
A very good pocket guide.
].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The starchy, sticky sap of the plant, was traditionally used by Australian Aborigines to mix with ochre to make a paint[
156
Title
Useful Wild Plants in Australia.
Publication
 
Author
Cribb. A. B. and J. W.
Publisher
William Collins Pty Ltd. Sidney
Year
1981
ISBN
0-00-216441-8
Description
A very readable book.
].

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-10-06. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Cymbidium+canaliculatum>

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