The Noble Dendrobium, Dendrobium nobile, is a member of the family Orchidaceae. It has become a popular cultivated decorative house plant, because it produces colourful blooms in winter and spring, at a time when little else is in flower. It is also one of the 50 fundamental herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine, known as shí hú (Chinese:石斛) or shí hú lán (Chinese:石斛兰). Dendrobium nobile is one of the most widespread ornamental members of orchid family. Its blooms are variegated in colour, shading from white through pink and purple, and the many different cultivated varieties produce different sized and coloured blooms.