Dendrobium Melanodiscus

by Henry Frederick Conrad Sander

This remarkable botanical artwork is an illustration of Dendrobium Melanodiscus, a beautiful hybrid orchid rendered with the meticulousness and artistic skill that are signatures of the Victorian period. This print first appeared in the landmark publication, "Reichenbachia," by Henry Frederick Conrad Sander, who is commonly known as the “Orchid King.”

He spared no expense in recording these rare plants. The lithograph illustrates the waxy nature of the petals and even renders the dark throat of the orchid that gave it its common name: the “melanodiscus,” meaning dark disk.