Cymbidium Species
Stephen Early

Cymbidium madidum

Madidum is a large plant with long pendulous racemes with many flowers. The scape is pendulous, between 30 and 80 cm long and carries between 7 and 60 flowers. The flowers slightly sweetly scented and are 2.6 - 2.8 cm across.

Culture

I have grown and flowered this plant in Melbourne both under shadecloth and in the heated glasshouse (min 12 C). By far the best results have been in the heated house. Flowers October to December.

Habitat

In the damper, tropical forests on the eastern side of the costal ranges in areas of high rainfall, often in clumps in the epiphytic staghorn and elkhorn fern (Platycerium sp.), or in rotting wood in hollow trees and branches.

Distribution

Eastern Australia, from northern Cape York to northern New South Wales. 0 - 1300m.

Synonyms and other names

C. iridifolium, C. albuciflorum, C. leai, C. queeneanum, C. leroyi, C. maddidum var. leroyi

Primary Hybrids

madidum x bicolor = Jim Duffin
madidum x dayanum = Pakkret Pudding
madidum x finlaysonianum = Francis Hunte
madidum x lancifolium = Elsie Blackmore
madidum x lowianum = Memoria Geoff Laird
madidum x mastersii = Little Moonbeam
madidum x munronianum = Saiburi
madidum x parishii (sanderae) = Parish Madness
madidum x pumilum (floribundum) = Pee Wee
madidum x suave = Kuranda
madidum x tigrinum = Petit Anquette
canaliculatum x maddidum = Little Black Sambo
canaliculatum x maddidum = laei
devonianum x madidum = Cricket
ensifolium x madidum = Olivia Ying Mark
goeringii x madidum = That's It
sinense x madidum = Memoria Sabino Gomes
suavissimum x madidum = Mad Sweets
tracyanumm x madidum = Madison Falls

(Pictures by C Hutchings)