Dockrillia cucumerina [W. Mcleay ex Lindley]Brieger 1981 Photo by © Eric Hunt, plant grown by Bill Weaver

Plant Photo courtesy of Jay Pfahl Copyrighted ©

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Common Name The Cucumber Bulb Dockrillia - The Cucumber Orchid - The Gherkin Orchid

Flower Size 5/8" [2 cm]

Found in Queensland Australia, as a miniature, cool to hot growing epiphytic species on river oaks near watercourses at elevations of 50 to 800 meters that has short, cane-like psuedobulbs and cucumber like leaves on a slender creeping rhizome. The short to 1" [to 2.5 cm], erect inflorescence gives rise to a small group of short lived, foul smelling flowers which occur in the late winter and spring. They grow best mounted on tree fern or cork and need cool to hot temperatures and regular water and fertilizer year round as well as cool nights.

Synonyms Callista cucumerina (W. McLeay) Kuntze 1891; *Dendrobium cucumerinum Macleay 1822

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; AOS Bulletin Vol 27 No 3 1958 photo as D cucumerinum; AOS Bulletin Vol 27 No 5 1958 drawing; AOS Bulletin Vol 18 No 9 1959 as Dendrobium cucumerinum; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965 as Dendrobium cucumerinum; AOS Bulletin Vol 35 No 4 1966 as Dendrobium cucumerina; AOS Bulletin Vol 63 No 1 1994 photo as Dendrobium cucumerinum; Orchids of Australia Riley & Banks 2002; Australian Orchid Review Vol 68 No 2 2003 photo; Australian Orchid Review Vol 68 No 5 2003 photo; Australian Orchid Review Vol 70 No 1 2005; Australian Orchid Review Vol 71 No 5 2006 photo; Native Orchids of Australia Jones 2006

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