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
Other Uses 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 the greenhouse 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.