Cymbidium faberi Rolfe
Faber’s cymbidium · Orchidaceae
- Accepted name
- Cymbidium faberi Rolfe
- First published
- Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1896: 198 (1896)
- Genus
- Cymbidium Sw. · Orchidaceae
- Common names
- Faber’s cymbidium
- Native range
- China North-Central, China South-Central, China Southeast, East Himalaya, Myanmar, Nepal, Taiwan, Tibet
- Databases
- POWO · IPNI · WCVP · Catalogue of Life · GBIF
Identification and cultural history
Cymbidium faberi is one of the celebrated terrestrial orchids of China. Its upright leaves have serrate margins; in spring it produces erect racemes bearing 9–20 or more scented blossoms. Northern Song poet Huang Tingjian famously distinguished it from spring orchid (C. goeringii) in Shu Youfang Ting: “that with one flower per stem and rich fragrance is Lan; that with five to seven flowers per stem is Hui”.
Nomenclature and synonyms
Rolfe published the species in the Kew Bulletin in 1896, based on collections made by Ernst Faber on Mount Emei in Sichuan, China. WCVP lists synonyms including Cymbidium oiwakense and Cymbidium faberi var. omeiense.
| Name | Published in |
|---|---|
| Cymbidium faberi Rolfe | Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1896: 198 (1896) |
6 heterotypic synonyms
| Cymbidium cerinum Schltr. | Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 12: 350 (1922) |
| Cymbidium fukiense T.C.Yen | Icon. Cymbid. Amoy.: A1 (1964) |
| Cymbidium oiwakense Hayata | Icon. Pl. Formosan. 6: 80 (1916) |
| Cymbidium scabroserrulatum Makino | Bot. Mag. (Tokyo) 16: 154 (1902) |
| Eulophia yunnanensis Rolfe | J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 36: 29 (1903) |
| Semiphajus evrardii Gagnep. | Bull. Mus. Natl. Hist. Nat., sér. 2, 4: 599 (1932) |
Distribution
WCVP records the species as native to 8 TDWG botanical regions.
China North-CentralChina South-CentralChina SoutheastEast HimalayaMyanmarNepalTaiwanTibet
Cultivation and ecology
Cymbidium faberi develops deep, fleshy root systems and is traditionally potted in tall, slender orchid pots. The potting medium must be airy and well-draining (such as pumice, bark chunks and coarse humus). It prefers higher light intensity than C. goeringii and requires a cool vernalisation period in winter to bloom properly.