#jonesii

Dendrobium jonesii var jonesii is an orchid native to the northern tip of Queensland Australia. Its common name is the oak orchid.

When I post a picture of a plant, I typically do an internet search to see if I can find something interesting to say about the plant. This is my way of hopefully making the pictures more interesting but perhaps more importantly to me - guiding me in learning about and appreciating the plants in the greenhouse collection - one plant at a time.

Since most Dendrobiums are epiphytes, I assumed that the name "oak orchid" probably meant that it prefers to grow on oak trees. Turns out this is only partially correct. It prefers to grow on trees of the genus Casuarina which are commonly called "she-oaks. The oaks that I am familiar with are in the genus Quercus.

I then assumed that she-oaks must look similar to the Quercus oaks that I'm familiar with. Wrong again. They have thin needle like leaves like conifers (but are not actually gymnosperms so not remotely related to conifers). Turns out the lumber from these trees does, however, closely resemble lumber from the European oaks.

But why are they called "She-Oaks" I asked? Apparently the Noongar aborignal people of Australia thought the sound of the breeze blowing through the leaves was reminiscent of the whispers of the spirits of the old ones. Babies were often placed underneath she-oak trees to help them sleep.

Please baby,

When it rains, it pours-