Scientific Name
Dischidia nummularia R.Br.
Common Names
String of Nickels, Button Orchid
Synonyms
Collyris minor, Dischidia actephila, Dischidia aemula, Dischidia beiningiana, Dischidia copelandii, Dischidia decipiens, Dischidia dirhiza, Dischidia gaudichaudii, Dischidia glabra, Dischidia horsfieldiana, Dischidia microphylla, Dischidia minor, Dischidia orbicularis, Dischidia rhombifolia, Dischidia ridleyana, Dischidia schumanniana, Dischidia sepikana, Leptostemma truncatum
Scientific Classification
Family: Apocynaceae
Subfamily: Asclepiadoideae
Genus: Dischidia
Description
Dischidia nummularia is a creeping epiphyte with slender stems and round dull greenish-yellow leaves. It often forms dense masses on the trees on which it occurs in its natural habitat. The leaves are opposite, thick and fleshy, and up to 0.4 inches (1 cm) in diameter. Young leaves are occasionally with a powdery bloom. Flowers are white to yellowish-white and appear in umbels of 1 to 5 flowers, typically in the spring. Fruits are follicles that split open at one side when they mature.
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zone 10a to 11b: from 30 °F (−1.1 °C) to 45 °F (+7.2 °C).
How to Grow and Care
Allow the soil to dry out before you water the plant. They are used to getting moisture only from dew and the air and cannot tolerate boggy media. When the bark medium is dry to the touch, submerge the container in water until air bubbles are gone.
Dischidia also needs high humidity. Mist the plant every day or place the container on a saucer filled with pebbles and water. The water will evaporate and moisten the air, while the pebbles will hold the sensitive roots out of the water.
Dischidia doesn't really need fertilizer, but you should change the planting media every year. If you wish, apply a diluted by half liquid plant food when you water beginning in spring and stopping by September.
See more at How to Grow and Care for Dischidia.
Origin
This species is native to India, China, Indonesia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Malaysia, and Australia.
Links
- Back to genus Dischidia
- Succulentopedia: Browse succulents by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, Origin, or cacti by Genus
