What is the difference between Cymbidium sinense and Cymbidium kanran? A quick guide to telling the two orchids apart

Many orchid growers cannot tell the difference between Cymbidium sinense and Cymbidium kanran, especially when they are not in flower. Generally speaking, Cymbidium sinense and Cymbidium kanran are very easy to tell apart by appearance, but once you come across a Cymbidium sinense with relatively narrow, long leaves and a Cymbidium kanran, it becomes harder to distinguish them. In particular, the natural hybrid of Cymbidium sinense and Cymbidium kanran, Sulu, looks even more similar in appearance.

Here is a brief introduction to the methods for telling these two orchid species apart:

1. The leaf veins of Cymbidium kanran are more transparent than those of Cymbidium sinense. The leaf veins of Cymbidium kanran are more prominent on the underside of the leaf, while the leaf veins of Cymbidium sinense are opaque and pale green, and the veins and leaf tissue are relatively smooth.

2. The leaf sheaths of Cymbidium kanran are relatively tight and do not split apart, and they are uniform from top to bottom and in size; the tips and edges of the leaf sheaths often carry a red-purple tinge. The leaf sheaths of Cymbidium sinense, by contrast, are relatively pointed and not tight, and they split apart easily, with a larger degree of splitting; the point at which they clasp the base of the leaf is not as high as in Cymbidium kanran, the upper part of the leaf sheath splits more than the lower part, and the leaf sheath is often blue-purple.

3. The pseudobulbs of Cymbidium kanran are relatively slender and long, while those of Cymbidium sinense are relatively round and large.

4. When the leaf length is about the same, each Cymbidium kanran plant has more leaves than Cymbidium sinense, and the leaves of Cymbidium kanran are also rougher than those of Cymbidium sinense.

The image below shows Cymbidium sinense:

The image below shows Cymbidium kanran: