First bloom Phalaenopsis cochlearis

Very excited to finally be able to bloom this Phalaenopsis cochlearis that's been growing here for about three years now. The first thing I noticed was that it's quite fragrant, very much like orange blossoms to me, but others have described it as lemony. It's a really cool flower and is my new favorite species!

This species has a purported limited range in Sarawakian Borneo and Peninsular Malaysia, and according to the Nortons from Orchidview, Phal. cochlearis may already be extinct in the wild. It's not the best news, but reminds us of the importance of keeping this species in cultivation.

Phalaenopsis cochlearis

Bornean rainforest, waterfall and orchids

Chasing the slim possibility of good diving conditions during the February monsoon in an El niño year in the North Eastern South China Sea meant facing reality when bad visibility resulted in a trip cut short. However, as fortune would have it, we had a whole day to explore the nearby rainforest reserve during the decompression period, before flying. I almost wished I had made plans to stay longer, as the resident hornbills had just recently hatched their first chicks and it would have been great to have had the chance to spot the happy family. Their distinctive calls were heard often during the hike.

The misty, dipterocarp forest. This picture did not do justice to the sheer size and astounding diversity of the different tree species here.

Beautiful fan palms, Licuala valida, graced the entire hike.

Two examples of winged fruit from Dipterocarpaceae, the second being from Shorea macrophylla a.k.a. Engkabang.

Waterfall.

Underwater shot of fishes at the waterfall.

Nepenthes bicalcarata, with its distinctive lid and beautifully proportioned pitcher.

Musa sp.

Selaginella sp.

One of the terrestrial orchids encountered, Claderia viridiflora, which had a strong scent reminiscent of jasmines.

Coelogyne foerstermanii cluster high up on a tree, some in flower.

Appendicula sp. by a stream.

Fallen Coelogyne sp. (?)

Here are some other orchids that have been rescued from the site and are housed in a shaded area. Hopefully, these will continue to set seed, or be re-distributed somehow.

Acriopsis liliifolia

Robiquetia spathulata

Two Phalaenopsis species in bloom

Updates from the grow space this month include two species that are currently in bloom. Of the two, only Phal. fuscata is distributed in Borneo, whereas Phal. stuartiana is a species endemic to Mindanao in the Philippines. These two species make quite a lovely primary hybrid, which has been registered as Phal. Zuma's Angelita (click on the name to get a link to see an example from www.phals.net). A plan to remake this cross with these two individuals is currently underway.

Interesting observations include the pretty unique fragrance that is emitted by Phal. fuscata, which is a mix of sweet and grassy scents, with a woody undertone. As for the nobilis form of Phal. stuartiana, the flowers open mostly pale and the suffuse yellow coloration took about two weeks to deepen in my conditions. This plant isn't fragrant, which suggests that this trait could be variable within this species.

Phalaenopsis stuartiana f. nobilis

Phalaenopsis fuscata

Leaves from Phalaenopsis

When not in flower, one of the most striking morphologies are the leaves exhibited by different Phalaenopsis species. In fact, some species from the section Aphyllae that occur at cooler regions in Asia are deciduous and will drop their leaves in the winter -- Phal. wilsonii and Phal. natmataungensis come to mind.

For species that retain their leaves, differences in color, size, shape and leaf patterning/mottling are indicative of some species. For example, Phal. gigantea leaves have a silvery, light green hue to it that is quite distinct, while Phal. stuartiana and Phal. lindenii have distinguishable shape and mottled leaf patterns. The last example in this series is a primary hybrid, Phal. Gretchen, that exhibits hybrid vigor and a recognizably intermediate leaf morphology.

Phalaenopsis gigantea

Phalaenopsis stuartiana f. nobilis (currently in buds)

Phalaenopsis lindenii

Phalaenopsis Gretchen (P. gigantea x P. stuartiana)

Phalaenopsis Gretchen with representative parents to show the intermediate leaf phenotype.

Primary hybrids of Phalaenopsis -- two examples

Heterosis or hybrid vigor is a well-known phenomenon in plant breeding and has been taken advantage of by orchid hybridizers for the last century and a half. The first man-made orchid hybrid registered at the Royal Horticultural Society in 1856 was, in fact, a primary hybrid between Calanthe sylvatica and Calanthe triplicata, creating Calanthe Dominyi. Primary hybrids are special because both parents are 'pure' species, and are often as just as easily identified as their species parents because they exhibit highly consistent morphologies.

Natural primary hybrids are also found in nature between species (often within the same genus) that have had the chance to meet in the wild. These are usually denoted by taxonomists with the x symbol before the species name. Two famous examples of natural primary hybrids in Phalaenopsis are Phalaenopsis x intermedia (Phal. equestris x Phal. sanderiana) and Phalaenopsis x gersenii (Phal. sumatrana x Phal. violacea).

In the case of the genus Phalaenopsis, assuming the currently accepted 64 extant species, there are theoretically 4032 possible primary combinations! Here are but two examples of them -- Phalaenopsis Guadalupe Pineda (Phal. bellina x Phal. amboinensis) and Phalaenopsis Tzu Chiang Tetralitz (Phal. micholitzii x Phal. tetraspis). The Guadalupe Pineda is fragrant, but presents more of the musky scent from Phal. amboinensis rather than the sweeter, fruitier scent from Phal. bellina. Fragrance is also present in Phal. Tzu Chiang Tetralitz, and it can described as being a light, sweet, grassy scent inherited Phal. tetraspis, which also imparts the random pigmented barring on the sepals and petals. Both hybrids will flower more than once a year, which is an additional advantage of having genomes from two species.

Phalaenopsis Guadalupe Pineda (Phal. bellina x Phal. amboinensis)

Phalaenopsis Tzu Chiang Tetralitz 'Little Hearts' (Phal. micholitzii x Phal. tetraspis)

First bloom Phalaenopsis mariae

Phalaenopsis mariae is a species with a purported range from Sabah to the Philippines. It has one of the most peculiar fragrance from the genus Phalaenopsis, because it is smells exactly like freshly zested tangerines. The much varied olfactory notes that are presented by this genus remains one of the most intriguing aspects in the diversification of this orchid taxon, and a major reason for this genus as being a favorite among orchid collectors. As such, I'm hoping to blog soon about the scents produced by the different Phalaenopsis species, accounted through personal experience and from descriptions by others.

Phalaenopsis mariae

Phalaenopsis bellina from Krull-Smith

This is the plant featured in the 'sneak peek' from the last post. Despite being its first bloom, this is the nicest Phalaenopsis bellina that I own. Hopefully, it will continue to grow and improve. Currently, the flower has a natural spread of 4.5 cm, which is quite large by this species' standards, but not surprising considering its parentage.

Phalaenopsis bellina ('Krull's Perfection' FCC/AOS x 'Krull's Prince' AM/AOS)