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In these cold, gray days of Michigan, it is always nice
to have orchids in bloom to brighten up the house. Phalaenopsis are one of the most
popular orchids, and most are in bloom or beginning to bloom at this time of year.
Commercial orchid nurseries can have greenhouses full of white and pink moth orchids
in bloom, but to some growers, these flowers, while quite lovely, all begin to look
alike. There are a couple of Phalaenopsis species that bloom in January and February
that can provide a nice change from the mass-produced hybrids.
Phalaenopsis schilleriana and P. stuartiana are endemic
to the Philippine Islands. When in flower, these two species put on an amazing display.
Both plants are very floriferous, and may have as many as 100 flowers or more on
a mature plant. There are reports of plants that have flowered with several hundred
blossoms. An English grower once sent a plant of P. schilleriana with
120 flowers to the St. Petersburg Exhibition in 1869, and in 1875 one with 378 flowers
bloomed in the garden of Lady Ashburton. Even when they are not in flower, their
mottled foliage makes these two species very attractive.
Phalaenopsis schilleriana was described by H. G. Reichenbach in 1860.
It was named for Consul Schiller who obtained the plant two years earlier from Manila.
The slightly fragrant flowers are usually a blush-pink, but may vary from deep rose,
pink fading to white at the margins, to all white, and are two to three inches across.
The base of the lip and the lateral lobes have darker spots, and the callus is bright
yellow. The inflorescence may grow to be up to four feet, branched, and may be either
erect, horizontal or pendant. If staked, the branches will tend to arch, giving a
very pleasing effect. Mature plants may produce two, three or occasionally four inflorescences
in the same bloom season. The leaves are a striking feature of this plant, dark green
overlaid with silvery-gray irregular marbling, usually seen as transverse bands on
the upper surfaces, while the undersides of the leaves are a purple-red. In the Philippines
this plant is known as "tigre" referring to these tiger-like markings.
The leaves are fleshy and up to eighteen inches long. The abundant roots are flattened,
not round as we are used to seeing in Phalaenopsis, and are greenish-gray in color.
This species occurs mainly on Luzon Island, south of Quezon City, at lower altitudes
up to 1500 feet. The plants are found on the upper branches and trunks of trees,
and can be grown brighter throughout the year than most other Phalaenopsis. This
is a warm grower, keep the day temperature at 75°F to 85°F or more, and
the night temperature at least 65°F. During the winter rest period drop the
night-time lows to around 55 ° or 60°F, but keep the diurnal range at least
15°. If this is not done, the plant may not flower, or produce keiki's on the
inflorescence. During the growing season from spring through fall, give these orchids
plenty of water, and fertilize moderately every one or two weeks with a balanced
fertilizer. When the leaf growth slows in the winter, keep the plants a little drier,
but do not let the plant completely dry out. In its natural habitat, there may only
be one or two inches of rain in these months, but there are still frequent fogs,
so misting the roots is beneficial. Reduce or suspend fertilizing during the resting
period. Keep the light levels up during this period.
Phalaenopsis stuartiana is closely related to P. schilleriana,
and the plants look very similar. The inflorescences are also heavily branching and
many flowered. It was described by Reichenbach in 1881 and named in honor of Stuart
Low. The flowers are 1" to 2" inches across, white with fine to heavy cinnamon-red
spotting on the basal halves of the lower sepals and on the lip. Some clones are
so heavily spotted on the sepals they appear to be a solid color. The variety punctatissima
has fine spots covering the sepals and petals, in addition to the normal coloring.
This species is found on the northern half of Mindanao Island in the Philippines.
Light levels can be brighter than that for most Phalaenopsis. It is also a warm grower,
the day temperature should be 75°F to 85°F or more, and the night temperature
at least 65°F. Drop the night-time lows to around 55° or 60°F during
the winter, again keeping the diurnal range at least 15°. In its natural habitat
the heaviest rainfall is during the winter, but it is not recommended to do this
under cultivated conditions. Keep the plant evenly moist, and slightly reduce the
amount of light during the winter. Fertilize regularly with a balanced fertilizer
during the growing season, and cut this in half during the winter months. An interesting
note is that Phalaenopsis stuartiana has been known to produce plantlets
from roots that have attached themselves to benches. When large enough, you can carefully
cut these off and pot them up.
You can grow these two species the customary way in a pot, grown in a basket, or
mounted on a slab. In a pot, you may use a mixture of fine and medium grade bark,
with sponge rock and tree fern fiber as possible additives. To retain moisture, you
may wish to add New Zealand sphagnum or chunky peat. Place the plant near the center
of the pot, slightly angled. Repotting is best done in the spring after the plant
has done blooming, and while the roots are in active growth. You can also grow these
orchids in straight tree fern fiber or osmunda fiber, as was common in the olden
days. In a basket, osmunda is the easiest media to use to pack around the roots,
but you can also use sphagnum moss, tree fern fiber or bark. Tree fern and bark tend
to fall through the bottom slats, so baskets with narrower openings are better suited.
When using osmunda or sphagnum, soak the material with warm water to make it more
manageable, and to keep down the dust. The basket may be hung horizontally, or angled
as is shown in the illustration at right. If mounted, you may use cork, tree fern
plaques or even large slabs of osmunda. Mount the plants so that the crowns angle
down, this will keep water from collecting in them. Some growers also mount several
plants on the same slab. This will produce an even more spectacular display when
in flower, and it takes up less space than keeping them separate. The roots of these
two orchids do tend to roam, wether they are grown in pots or mounted, and frequent
misting is recommended.
Both these species make wonderful specimens. You won't be able to get them as cheaply
as was the case in 1881, when a plant with 733 flowers and buds was purchased in
the Philippines for 25 cents, but these two easy-to-grow species are readily available
at many orchid nurseries, both as seedlings and mature plants.
For more information on Phalaenopsis species:
The Genus Phalaenopsis, by Herman R. Sweet
Orchid Species Culture, Vol. 1: Pescatoria - Pleione
Charles and Margaret Baker
Orchidiana Philippiniana, Helen L. Valmayor
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ALEX M. CHALLIS
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