Common Name:

General Information

Dendrobium nobile is an erect, branched perennial plant producing a cluster of stout, fleshy stems 10 - 60cm long[, ].
The plant is often used in Chinese medicine and is commonly harvested from the wild for local use and for trade. A form growing on rocks is cultivated in Szechuan for medicinal use[], and the plant is commonly grown as an ornamental - many cultivated forms have been developed.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

E. Asia - southern China, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam.

Habitat

Dense, humid forests, usually as an epiphyte in the trees[]. Tree trunks in mountain forests, also on rocks in mountain valleys; at elevations from 500 - 1700 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Habit	Evergreen Perennial
Height	0.60 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

The plant has a symbiotic relationship with a species of soil-dwelling fungus. It is important that spores of this fungus are present in any soil in which the plant is grown[].
The plant is extremely tenacious of life - even after being dried, if water is later given it can come back into growth[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The whole plant contains mucilage and the alkaloid dendrobine[]. It is antiphlogistic, pectoral, sialogogue, stomachic and tonic[, ]. It is used in Vietnam as a tonic in the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis, general debility, flatulence, dyspepsia, reduced salivation, parched and thirsty mouth, night sweats, fever and anorexia[]. It is also said to be effective in the treatment of sexual impotence, arthralgia, lumbago, pain in the extremities etc[].
The plant is harvested at the end of the growing season and dried for later use[]. The dried plants are imbued with alcohol and steam cooked before use[].

Other Uses

An extract of the protocorm is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as an emollient, skin conditioner and skin protectoy[].
An extract of the whole plant is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as a skin conditioner[].
An extract of the flowers is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as a skin conditioner[].

Propagation

Seed - surface sow, preferably as soon as it is ripe, in a container and do not allow the compost to dry out. The seed of this species is extremely simple, it has a minute embryo surrounded by a single layer of protective cells. It contains very little food reserves and depends upon a symbiotic relationship with a species of soil-dwelling fungus. The fungal hyphae invade the seed and enter the cells of the embryo. The orchid soon begins to digest the fungal tissue and this acts as a food supply for the plant until it is able to obtain nutrients from decaying material in the soil[]. It is best to use some of the soil that is growing around established plants in order to introduce the fungus, or to sow the seed around a plant of the same species and allow the seedlings to grow on until they are large enough to move.
Stem cuttings - each must have a dormant bud[].

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