Cymbidium

Cymbidieae subtribe Cyrtopodiinae. DuPuy and Cribb (1988) divide the genus into three subgenera. In subgenus Cymbidium, comprising most of the larger-flowered species, the lip is free and there are usually two, cleft pollinia. Subgenus Cyperorchis bears f

Caespitose epiphytes, lithophytes and terrestrials, rarely saprophytes, with coarse, thick roots. Pseudobulbs prominent or absent, concealed by persistent leaf bases. Leaves several, linear-ligulate to lanceolate, arching or erect, thin-textured to rigid-leathery, alternate, usually distichous. Inflorescences usually scapose racemes, erect to pendent, somtimes solitary flowers. Flowers often very showy, sometimes fragrant, cupped to bell-shaped (pendent), concolor or longitudinally striped. Sepals and petals usually subsimilar, free, spreading. Lip three-lobed, free or fused to the column at the base, the lateral lobes erect, with a callus of two ridges or two swellings. Column elongate, arching, +/- winged, +/- a short foot; pollinia 2 and deeply cleft or 4 in two unequal pairs, subsessile by short caudicles on a common viscidium.

From the Greek kymbes, meaning a boat-shaped cup, referring to the boat-shaped lip.

A genus of 44 species ranging from the Northwest Himalaya to Japan and south through the Philippines, New Guinea and Australia.

Andrew, K. 2000. Cymbidium devonianum, part 1. Orchid Rev. 108(1231):19-22.

Andrew, K. 2000. Cymbidium tigrinum, a gem. Orchid Rev. 108(1236):348-350.

Averyanov, L. V. and E. A. Christenson 1998. Orchids of Vietnam: Cymbidium schroederi. Orchids 67(7):712-713.

Bartareau, T. 1995. The pollination of Cymbidium madidum Lindley and C. suave R. Br. by native bees -- a case of floral reward deception? Orchadian 11(10):487-495.

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(1):26-31.

Comber, J. B. 1980. The species of Cymbidium in Java. Orchid Digest 44:165-168.

Comber, J. B. and R. Nasution 1978. A new Indonesian Cymbidium: Cymbidium hartinahianum. Orchid Digest 42:55-57.

Cribb, P. J. 1997. Variation in Cymbidium eburneum and C. lowianum in China. Orchid Rev. 105(1215):155-157.

Cribb, P. J. and D. DuPuy 1984. Cymbidium longifolium and C. elegans (Orchidaceae). Kew Bull. 38:65-67.

DuPuy, D. and P. Cribb 1988. The genus Cymbidium. Timber Press, Portland.

DuPuy, D. J. and P. J. Cribb 1988. Cymbidium rectum Ridl., a recently rediscovered species from Borneo. Orchid Review 96(1136):184-188.

DuPuy, P. J., B. V. Ford-Lloyd and P. J. Cribb 1985. A numerical taxonomic analysis of Cymbidium section Iridorchis (Orchidaceae). Kew Bull. 40(2):421-434.

DuPuy, D. J. and T. Lamb 1984. An annotated contribution to an understanding of the genus Cymbidium Sw., based upon its species found in Sabah, eastern Malaysia. Orchid Digest 48:99-109.

Feng, K.-M. and H. Li 1980. A new species of Orchidaceae from Cymbidium. Acta Bot. Yunnanica 2(3):334-336.

Feng, K.-M. and H. Li 1987. A new species of Orchidaceae from Cymbidium. Wild Orchid J. 1:26-27.

Kjellesson, G., F. N. Rasmussen and D. DuPuy 1985. Pollination of Dendrobium infundibulum, Cymbidium insigne (Orchidaceae) and Rhododendron lyi (Ericaceae) by Bombus eximus (Apidae) in Thailand: a possible case of floral mimicry. J. Trop. Ecol. 1:289-302.

Krishna, B. and A. R. K. Sastry 1972(1975). Cymbidium tigrinum Parish ex Hook., a new record from Nagaland, India. Bull. Bot. Soc. India 14(1-4):179-180.

Li, H. and G. Feng 1989. A new species of the Sect. Iridorchis of the genus Cymbidium. Acta Bot. Yunnanica 11:39-40.

Liu, Y.-F. 1997. Oriental Cymbidiums. Orchids 66(11):1148-1153.

Macpherson, K. and H. M. R. Rupp 1934. The pollination of Cymbidium iridifolium Cunn. North Queensl. Nat. 25:26.

Mark, F., H. Fu-Shun and J. A. Fowlie 1986. An artificial key to the Cymbidium species of Taiwan. Orchid Digest 50:13-36.

Obara-Okeyo, P. and S. Kako 1998. Genetic diversity and identification of Cymbidium cultivars and measured by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. Euphytica 99:95-101.

Quisumbing, E. 1940. The genus Cymbidium in the Philippines. Philippine J. Sci. 72:481-492.

Reeve, T. M. 1984. The native Cymbidium species of Papua New Guinea. Orchadian 8(2):33-35.

Smith, P. and N. Paton 1977. Leaf phenolic acids as chemical markers for Cymbidium floral albinism. Australian Orchid Rev. 42(4):185-187.

Tung, S. H., X. L. Ye, E. C. Yeung and S. Y. Zee 1999. Ultrastructural aspects of megasporogenesis in Cymbidium sinense (Orchidaceae). Lindleyana 14(4):178-192.

Weckerle-Thrun, C. 1996. Growing Chinese Cymbidium species in southern California. Orchid Digest 60(3):117-119.

Wolff, E. Chinese Cymbidium species, part I. Orchids 68(7):682-693.

Wood, J. and D. DuPuy 1984. A recently described Cymbidium from Borneo, Cymbidium borneense J. J. Wood. Orchid Digest 48:115-116.

Wu, Y. H. and H. C. Chen 1980. A taxonomic review of the orchid genus Cymbidium in China. Acta Phytotax. Sinica 18:292-307.