soft cane vs. hard cane

How can one determine whether a dendrobium is of the soft or hard caned variety? Can you tell just by looking? Sorry, I'm sure this is a question only a newbie would ask, but I've heard about the two types and was just wondering...

Well Im glad you asked cuase I never heard that there were two types of canes!

yes you can tell the two types just by looking at them.The ones that you are buying fron the supermarkets with Dendrobium bigibbum ,phalaenopsis and the like and in cluding Dendrobium's speciousm and kingianum are hard cane .Other hard cane species are chrysotoxum , aggregatum , farmeri and most of the Austrailian species.
The sft cane types are characterized by Dendrobiun nobile. Other species are Dendrobium's regium , findlayanum , aureum

There are two other classificattion of Dendrobium's they being square , characterized by tetragonum and the nigro-hirsute , which is characterized by Dendrobium formosum.

Hope this helps

OK, other than the parent species that may or may not be known, what physical or physiological characteristics should we look for? I have read the link in one of your other posts and, well, I am still just a bit confused.

i always thought it was that softcanes have leaves all the down the stem were as hardcanes have all there leaves at the top.

Its actually easier when the plants are seen side by side,but if you can get a dendrobium Kingianum and specieosum and say one of those ones that you buy from the big box stores with the long spikes out the top.They are all hard cane regardless of thier breeding,all having flower spikes that come out of the very top of the canes.Generally they do not through keikis(kingianum is the exception).Also they have a very strong tedercy to hold the leaves on the older canes ,with only about two leaves at the top and they are stiff.

The 'soft cane' have leaves that are very much softer,floppy,lush looking(dont need the same light levels).They flower from the canes that were grown the year before after the leaves have fallen.The flower spikes are all few flowered (1-4 flowered)and come from where the leaves had been(not out the top as with the hard cane).The soft cane will readilly through Keikei if watering is started to soon in the growing season.It is possible to have a plant covered in keikeis and no flower.

only in the flush of growth

I believe that hard canes are hard, and soft canes are soft

Some other good "soft-cane" Den. examples may be Den. cuthbertsonii, Den. anceps, Den. cucumericum (spelling?), etc.

-Pat

Den. cuthbertsonii and Den cucumerinum are not classed as soft cane.Den cucumerinum breeds with some of the Austrailian hard cane,but as yet there is no known breeding link between hard and soft cane Dendrobs

I did not know that... Nice to know! I never knew soft canes can't cross with hard canes.

So what is the actual definition of hard and soft caned Dendrobiums?

-Pat