Dendrobium - Other Uses By Humans

Other Uses By Humans

Some Dendrobium species are grown as medical plants. The Noble Dendrobium (D. nobile) for example is one of the 50 fundamental herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine, where it is known as shí hú (石斛) or shí hú lán (石斛兰).

Many species and cultivars of this genus are well-known floral emblems and have been figured in artwork. Among the former are:

• Dendrobium formosum (Beautiful giant-flowered dendrobium) – emblem of Ranong Province (Thailand)
• Dendrobium 'Kim il Sung' (Kimilsungia) – emblem of North Korea
• Dendrobium moniliforme (Sekikoku) – emblem of Matsushima, Miyagi (Japan)
• Dendrobium nobile (Noble Dendrobium) – emblem of Sikkim (India)
• Dendrobium biggibum (Cooktown Orchid, anggrek larat) – emblem of Maluku province (Indonesia) and Queensland (Australia).
• Dendrobium utile (locally known as anggrek serat) – emblem of the Indonesian province of South East Sulawesi

The Cooktown Orchid was figured on Australian stamps in 1968 and 1998, and several Dendrobium cultivars are depicted on the obverse side of the Singapore Orchid Series currency notes issued between 1967 and 1976:

• Dendrobium Marjorie Ho – S$10
• Dendrobium Shangri-La – S$500
• Dendrobium Kimiyo Kondo – S$1000

The Golden-bow Dendrobium (D. chrysotoxum), colloquially called "Fried-egg Orchid" was one of the species grown by the fictional private detective and orchid fancier Nero Wolfe, and plays a role in The Final Deduction.