Orchids of New Guinea

Next Genus: Genus Cymbidium section Geocymbidium

Genus Cymbidium

Cymbidium Sw., Nova Acta Regiae Soc. Sci. Upsal. 6 (1799) 70

Synonyms:

Genus Arethusantha Finet, Bull. Soc. Bot. France 44 (1897) 179
Genus Cyperorchis Blume, Rumphia 4 (1848) 47
Genus Iridorchis Blume, Coll. Orchid. (1858) 26
Genus Jensoa Raf., Fl. Tellur. 4 (1836) 38
Genus Pachyrhizanthe (Schltr.) Nakai, Bot. Mag. (Tokyo) 45 (1931) 109

Sympodial epiphytic or terrestrial plants with pseudobulbs, almost without or with short rhizomes, rarely (not in New Guinea) leafless terrestrial plants without pseudobulbs and with underground rhizomes. Pseudobulbs often hidden by the leaf-sheaths, consisting of one or more internodes, few- to several-leaved. Leaves sheathing at the base, arranged in two rows, glabrous, deciduous, duplicate, leathery. Inflorescence arising laterally from the base of the pseudobulb, a few- to many-flowered raceme. Flowers medium-sized to large, resupinate, often showy. Sepals free. Petals free, more or less similar to rather different from the dorsal sepal. Lip without spur, not mobile. Column-foot present. Pollinia 2, cleft, solid, caudicles absent, stipe present, viscidium present (forming a single structure with the stipe).

Species present in New Guinea:

Cymbidium ensifolium subsp. acuminatum
Cymbidium ensifolium subsp. haematodes
Cymbidium lancifolium

Distribution:

India, tropical East Asia, China, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Australia. About 45 species; in New Guinea 2 species.

Habitat:

Epiphytic in lowland and montane forest, or terrestrial in montane forest.

References:

Blume, C.L. Orchideae. Rumphia, 4 (1848) 38-56.
Blume, C.L. Cyperorchis. Museum Botanicum Lugdunum Batavorum (1849.) 48
Blume, C.L. Collection des orchidees les plus remaquables de l'archipel Indien et du Japon, 1 (1858) 90-93, t. 26.
Chen, S.C. Cymbidium. Flora of China Orchidaceae 2 (1999) 191-227.
Chen, S.C. & Tang, T. A genera review of the orchid Flora of China. ln Orchid biology; reviews and perspectives IV (edit. J. Arditti) (1982) 39-8.
Comber, J.B. (1980). The species of Cymbidium in Java. Orchid Digest 44 164-168.
Comber, J.B. Orchids of Sumatra (2001).
Dockrill, A.W. Australian indigenous orchids 1 (1969).
Du Puy, D. New insights into the classification of Cymbidium. In Proceedings of the 18th World Orchid Conference (edit. A. Raynal-Roques, A, Rougenant & D. Prat) (2005) 181-90.
Du Puy, D.J. & Cribb, P.J. The genus Cymbidium (1988).
Du Puy, D.J. & Cribb, P.J. The genus Cymbidium (2007).
Du Puy, D.J. & Lamb, A. ( l984). The genus Cymbidium in Sabah. Orchid Review 92 349-358.
Holttum, R.E. Orchids of Malaya. Flora ef Malaya, ed. 3, 1 (1964) 517-526.
Hooker, J.D. . Cymbidium. Flora of British lndia 6 (1891) 8-15.
Hunt, P.F. Notes on Asiatic orchids 5. Kew Bulletin 24 (1970) 93-94.
King, G. & Pantling, R. Orchids of the Sikkim-Himalaya. Annals of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Calutta 8 (1898) 184-196, t. 247-262.
Lin, T.P. Nalive orchids of Taiwan Vol. 2 (1977).
Lindley, J. The Genera and Species of Orchidaceous plants (1830-40).
Maekawa, F. The Wild Orchids of Japan in colour (1971).
Pradhan, U. C. Indian orchids: guide to identification and culture Vol. 2 (1979).
Schlechter, R. Die Gattungen Cymbidium Sw. und Cyperorchis BI. Fedde, Repertorium Speciarum Novarum Regni Vegetabilis 20 (1924) 96-110.
Seidenfaden, G. Orchid genera in Thailand. 11. Cymbidieae Pfitz. Opera Botanica 72 (1983) 65-93.
Seth, C.J. and Cribb, P.J. A reassessment of the sectional limits in the genus Cymbidium Swartz. In Orchid biology: reviews and perspectives, III (edit. J. Arditti) (1984) 282-322.
Smith, J.J. in Backer, C.A. & Bakhuizen, R.C. Orchidacea. Flora of Java 3 (1968) 215-450.
Swartz, 0. Cymbidium grandiflorum. Nova Acta Societatis Scientiarum Upsaliensis 6 (1799) 76.

Classification:

Subfamily Epidendroideae
Tribe Cymbidieae
Subtribe Cymbidiinae
Genus Cymbidium

Literature:

Clements, M.A. and D.L. Jones. 1996. Conspectus of Cymbidium (Orchidaceae) in Papua New Guinea with the description of a new species. Lasianthera 1: 26-29.
DuPuy, D. and P.J. Cribb. 1988. The genus Cymbidium. Christopher Helm, London.
Reeve, T.M. 1984. The native Cymbidium species of Papua New Guinea. Orchadian 8: 258-260.

Notes:

Horticulturally, Cymbidium is one of the most important orchid genera, with numerous hybrids being cultivated for the cut flower industry. The two New Guinea species are widespread and not among the most attractive members of the genus; they both occur at the edge of their area of distribution. Cymbidium ensifolium is noteworthy for having finely serrated leaf-edges, which is very uncommon in orchids.