Dendrobium plicatile

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Dendrobium plicatile is an Asian orchid in the Dendrobium genus. It was formerly described as Flickingeria fimbriata.

Where it grows:
Native to Southeast Asia, the Himalayas, and Melanesia. It has been found in Borneo, Cambodia, parts of China (including Hainan), the East Himalayas, India (Assam), Java, Laos, the Nusa Tenggara islands, Malaysia, Nepal, the Nicobar Islands, the Philippines, Sulawesi, Sumatra, Thailand, and Vietnam.

What scientists know about it:
- The methanol extract from D. plicatile can scavenge the superoxide radical, a harmful molecule.
- From the stems, three phenanthrenes have been identified: plicatol A, plicatol B, and plicatol C.
- The plant also contains norditerpenoids named flickinflimilins A and B and steroids.
- Related species, such as Dendrobium officinale, have flower extracts shown to help reduce fatty liver disease, oxidative stress, and inflammation, and to protect against alcohol-induced liver injury.