Family:	Orchidaceae
	Distribution:	Queensland
	Common Name:	Cooktown Orchid
	Derivation of Name:	Dendrobium...from the Greek dendron, a tree, and bios, life (ie living on trees). bigibbum..."Two-humped", referring to the shape of the spur, a floral structure.
	Conservation Status:	Not considered to be at risk in the wild.

General Description:

Dendrobium is a large genus with around 1400 species spread throughout Asia and the Pacific. Australia has about 56 species, many of which are cultivated. Considerable hybridization has been carried out within the genus to produce improved horticultural forms and a number of naturally occurring hybrids are also in cultivation.

Major taxonomic revision of the Dendrobium group has occurred in recent years with many species being transferred to new genera. Some of these changes have been reasonably widely accepted (eg Dockrillia) while the status of others is less certain. The various forms of Dendrobium bigibbum have been transferred to the genus Vappodes by some authorities but the earlier name is retained here until the taxonomic situation becomes more clear.

Dendrobium bigibbum (the "Cooktown Orchid") is the floral emblem of Queensland and is probably the best known and most colourful of Australia's orchid species. Like most dendrobiums, D.bigibbum is an epiphytic orchid which means that it grows on the trunks and branches of trees and receives nutrients through the break down of leaf litter that accumulates around its root system.

D.bigibbum occurs in the forests of Queensland north from around Cooktown and it is common on the Cape York Peninsular and the islands of Torres Strait. In nature it hybridises with D.discolor. The purple flowers are borne on long, terminal racemes and there may be as many as ten flowers on each raceme. Flowers are large, being up to 65 mm in diameter. Occasionally white flowered forms are seen.

The "Cooktown Orchid" has been cultivated for many years by orchid enthusiasts and has been used in hybridisation work with other Australian and exotic "hard cane" dendrobiums. It grows fairly easily in cultivation in sub-tropical and tropical areas where cultivation in a bush house is adequate. In temperate districts the plant requires a heated glasshouse although it can be flowered (with luck!), in temperate coastal areas in a very warm bush house. Plants can usually be obtained through specialist orchid breeders.