The Densiflora section, also known as Callista, with short, thick, strongly keeled pseudobulbs bearing terminal leathery and thick leaves, also includes species that will require winter dormancy, but without losing their leaves. The species in this section are notable for their cold tolerance, with temperatures of 3 - 10 ℃ considered the trigger for flowering. The species belonging to this section are chrysotoxum, farmeri, griffithianum, jenkinsii, lindleyi (syn. aggregatum), palpebrae, sulcatum, thyrsiflorum, all preferring medium or high temperatures, with only the densiflorum species loving lower temperatures.
Similar to many other orchid genera, the dormancy phenomenon is present in Dendrobium species, but not all, and it does not manifest in the same way. For the uninitiated, the general tendency will be to treat all Dendrobium species the same way, but it should be noted that the heterogeneity of this genus is reflected not only anatomically but also ecologically, especially regarding preferences for the growing climate and its seasonal variations. This aspect is best summarized through the division of the genus into sections, which group species with similar appearance and preferences.
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The Dendrobium section, which groups species such as anosmum (syn. superbum), aphyllum (syn. pierardii), chrysanthum, crystallinum, fimbriatum, friedicksianum, gibsonii, heterocarpum, linawianum, loddigesii, moschatum, nobile, parishii, primulinum, pulchellum, schulleri, senile, signatum, stricklandianum, unicum, wardianum, falconeri, findlayanum, moniliforme, characterized by a preference for high to medium temperatures, except for the last three species, and a dormancy season in winter, when the plants will lose their leaves and at least partially their roots, keeping only the characteristic pseudobulbs, reminiscent of reed appearance, which will appear more or less dry and wrinkled. These aspects should not surprise or worry growers, as this is a common moment in the biology of these species. The plants will resume growth with the arrival of the spring season.
During the winter period, it is recommended to reduce the frequency of watering until complete cessation, until the appearance of flower spikes, when occasional misting can be used, but without abruptly changing the water regime.
Given the abundance of horticulturally interesting species belonging to the genus Dendrobium, the complexity of hybrids should not surprise us. On the contrary, before deciding on the purchase or care method for your preferred Dendrobium specimen, it is recommended to thoroughly document the parental composition down to the species level of the plants that catch our attention, then checking how many of those parents belong to which sections, in order to identify the optimal care method for them.
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