Which genus was described first, Dendrobium of Barringtonia?
Dendrobium Dendrobium is a huge genus of orchids. It was established by Olof Swartz in 1799 and today contains about 1,200 species. The genus occurs in diverse habitats throughout much of south, east and southeast Asia, including China, Japan, India, the Philippines, Indonesia, Australia, New Guinea, Vietnam, and many of the islands of the Pacific. The name is from the Greek "dendron" ("tree") and "bios" ("life"); it means "one who lives on trees", or, essentially, "epiphyte".
Cyrtomium Cyrtomium is a genus of about 15-20 species of ferns in the family Dryopteridaceae, native to Asia, Africa (including Madagascar), and the Pacific Ocean islands (Hawaii). It is very closely related to the genus "Polystichum", with recent research suggesting it should be included within it (Little & Barrington).