small but rare

This precious little gem is a Phalaenopsis appendiculata var. alba. It was given to me by one of Singapore's most prolific orchid collectors, Jason Ong. I saw it for the first time during the recent Singapore Garden Festival as J had used two in his display. They're very costly, considering the fact that the flower is no bigger than my finger nail. Still, this is truly a collector's plant which I fear, are in the wrong hands, namely mine. So far, it is still blooming, but the real challenge lies in keeping it alive and growing it. * Update, as of 1 July 2011, I am happy to announce that this is still alive!

Like most Phalaenopsis, the appendiculata alba is an epiphytic plant, with fleshy roots and a short stem completely covered by imbricating leaf sheaths. There are a few fleshy leaves which are elliptic or oblong which are about 7 cm long, 3,5 cm wide. The flower stalk is much more shorter than the leaves. The flowers are produced in succession and are no bigger than 8 to 10 mm.

Phalaenopsis cornu-cervi fma. chattaladae

I grow orchids, but do not consider myself a serious orchid enthusiast. For a start, I am only familiar with the more popular orchid genera; dendrobiums, vandas, cattleyas, phalaenopsis etc, but am hopeless when it coms to the full latin names of species or hybrids and can never remember, let alone rattle off names the way "some" orchid people do. Admittedly, my forte lies with bromeliads and costuses.

So Jason has been passing me some of his "prized" collection, and I keep telling him that he's taking a big risk, placing these under my care and supervision. Anyhow, one of the more rare and interesting plants he has given me is the Phalaenopsis cornu-cervi fma. chattaladae.

You can read about the story of the discovery, identification and conservation of this rare and beautiful form of Phalaenopsis cornu-cervi from this website . It is often confused with the more common Phal 'red' cornu-cervi which has been mass produced and often passed off or sold under the 'chattaladae' label.

check out the size of this guy

This is one big Tillandsia xerographica. Far East nursery is selling a palm-sized one from $48 up. Imagine how much this fella would fetch? The guy in the photo is tillandsia enthusiast Kyle Thibaudeau from Boca Raton Florida. You can check out his Flickr page with photos of his huge tillandsia collection. Apart from these airplants, he's also into bosai and orchids. Check out the size of this Schomburgkia tibicinis. Everything about this guy is big!

orchid montage

dimorphism in orchids

I've had this Catasetum for quite a few years now and every time it begins to bloom, I would always wonder what "gender" of flowers it would produce.

Catasetum, abbreviated as Ctsm in horticultural trade, is a genus of the Orchid family (Orchidaceae), subfamily Epidendroideae, tribe Cymbidieae, subtribe Catasetinae, with 166 species. Species of the genus Catasetum occur from Mexico to tropical America, with the majority in Brazil.

They have thick, cigar-shaped pseudobulbs which are clustered. The leaves are pleated in the upper part and deciduous. The pseudobulbs become spiny after the leaves have dropped. The inflorescence is borne on the basis. It consists of very fleshy flowers that are unisexual, which is exceptional for orchids. Catasetum have sexually dimorphic flowers; that is, male and female flowers are distinctly different in shape and color. The colorful male and yellowish-green female flowers are typically situated on different plants. Which type of flower a plant produces is determined by the conditions under which it grows. There are rare cases in which a single plant in intermediate conditions will produce both male and female flowers. These flowers are markedly different in size and color. At first, taxonomists even thought they were dealing with different species.

The male flowers have a remarkable technique for the ejection of the pollinia.

schomburgkia thomsoniana

the yearly affair - grammatophyllum speciosum

If you happen to visit the Singapore Botanic Gardens, you should look out for the Tiger Orchid as they have started to bloom. However, it's funny how many people appear to have either missed it or dissed it as being just another orchid. However, any orchid enthusiast will tell you that this isn't just any other orchid! It is probably the King of Orchids!

The Grammatophyllum speciosum, more commonly known as the Tiger Orchid or Sugar Cane Orchid is probably the largest orchid and the heaviest known to man. It is native to New Guinea, Indonesia and Malaysia and is epiphytic, growing on trees and exposed areas of the lowland tropical rainforest. In Singapore, Tiger Orchids are seldom found in the wild. Ironically and thanks to NPark's efforts, you will find many clusters attached to wayside trees along Napier Road, Botanic Gardens and Orchard Boulevard.

The Tiger Orchid can grow into gigantic clusters weighing several hundred kilograms. The spikes can grow up to lengths of about two metres, each bearing up to eighty scented flowers, about 10 cm wide. The flowers are yellow colored with maroon or dark red spots. The orchid blooms only once every two to four years and it can normally remain in bloom for up to two months. Because of its enormous size, it is rarely cultivated.

I was fortunate enough to buy a clump from World Farm several years ago. It is currently sitting in the shade in my backyard and appears to be doing well. Given that it is epiphytic and is commonly found on trees in the wild, I gather it is pretty adaptable and can tolerate a range of light levels. I did notice that the leaves of my plant tended to turn yellow when exposed to direct sun, but the leaves of the clump at SBG remain rather green even when exposed to the elements. Anyway, I will keep mine potted for now, until such time I find a place of my own.