The genus Cymbidium was first described in 1799 byt Olaf Swartz, from the Greek word kymbos, “a boat-shaped cup,” referring to the shape of some of the flower lips. Cymbidiums are particularly favoured in eastern Asia. Toward the end of the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368) cymbidiums were featured in many paintings. Cymbidiums are native to the western Pacific Ocean basin, spanning a vast area from India to southern Austrailia
