Dendrobium is the second after Bulbophillum biggest genus of orchids. It contains about 1200 species. Dendrobium is an Asian and Australian genus, and also dwells on many Pacific Ocean islands. Dendrobium orchids grow naturally in diverse ecosystems – from warm rainforests to cold Himalayan mounts and dry Australian deserts. They are either epiphytic (which is illustrated …
Grammatophyllum is a very famous orchid genus. Famous for its titanic sizes – Grammatophyllum speciosum, type species is sometimes called Giant Orchid for its gabarits – it is the biggest orchid in the world. With pseudobulbs up to three meters and weight up to one ton this orchid is amazing threat for trees – yes, this is epiphytic …
Grammatophyllum. The largest orchids in the world. Read More »
Renanthera is a genus of beautiful monopodial orchids from Southeast Asia. There are about 20 recognized species in this genus. Renanthera is a close relative to Vanda. The plants of most species are quite large with stems up to 2 meters, but plants of other species are only several inches in length. Renanthera orchids are epiphytic or …
Renanthera orchids. Gorgeous beauties from Asia. Species and Culture. Read More »
Unlike their close relatives Brassia or Spider Orchids, Ada orchids are hard to grow. These beautiful but demanding orchids dwell in cool and misty cloud forests of Nicaragua, northern South America, Andes and Bolivia at high elevations. They also have certain morphological differences with Brassia orchids, including flower anatomy and plant habit, but pollination technique remains …
Some orchids, like Phalaenopsis and some Dendrobiums, are extremely easy to grow, and they can often be found in common flower shops. Some, like Phaius and Calanthe, are also very easy to grow, but not very well known beyond orchid enthusiasts’ community. There are also quite rare and hard to grow orchids, such as Dracula …
Brassia orchids have large, spider-shaped flowers, hence the other name Spider Orchids. They are not only extremely nice and beautiful but also they are true botanical curiosities – they are pollinated by female wasps of genera Pepsis and Campsomeris, who use spiders as feed container and vessels for their developing eggs and larvae. Confused wasps …
When we think about Oncidium Alliance orchid, we often imagine something classic “Dancing Doll” looking – profound flat lip, resembling a skirt of a tiny doll, with usually little sepals and petals, which set off the brightness and beauty of the lip. Trichopilia orchids are another story. Although these small to medium sized orchids belong to Oncidium …
The Butterfly orchid is the name not only for common Phalaenopsis orchids. In fact, this is the name for literally alien orchids, which are called Psychopsis (which have no relation to psychosis or other disorders but means “soul” in Latin and it is actually named after goddess Psyche – the wife of Eros, who had had butterfly …
A curious fact about Gongora orchids is that they are insufficiently known by many orchid growers (and it is a hard task to find them in common flower shops, unlike common Phalaenopsis orchids). Although they were ones of the first tropical orchids grown in culture, when you think about orchid usually you imagine Phalaenopsis, not …
Aerides are spectacular Asian vandoid orchids. They are also called Cat’s-tail Orchids or Fox Brush Orchids for their multiflowered exquisite inflorescences. They could be found growing epiphytically (with one exception Aerides krabiensis, which is a lithophyte plant) in the rainforests of South-East Asia, Southern China, Nepal, India, The Philippines and New Guinea. There are 28 currently recognized …