dendrobium-phalaenopsis

Undoubtedly the most important representative of the genus :the business of many (especially Asian)producers dealing in cut flowers depends on growing its perfectly throughbred color cultivars. Besides their beautiful looks , the inflorescence of the hybrids are distinguished by an exceptional durability and a firm spike. The biological species is sometimes labaled with the biological term D. biggibum ssp.phalaenopsis. The species name suggests a resemblance in the appearance of the beautiful flowers (or even the whole inflorescences )to an unrelated genus Phalaenopsis. It belongs in the group of indeciduous and thermophilic Dendrobium orchids-its extended ,thick pseudobulbs,whose length does not exceed 24 in/60cm ,do not shed foliage after the tissues achieves maturity . The long (up to 20 in/50 cm) flowerspike bears 6-15 flowers that reach sizes of up to 3.2 in/ 8 cm across. The flowers of the orginal species are puple,with a deep purple lip,but there are a lot of color exceptions (including a highly -valued snow-white form termed var. hololeucum). Grow the plants in a well -ventilated and well-lighted,warm place in suspended baskets or flowerpots with a preameable,coarse substrate. Flowers appear on both the biological species and its hybrids during the commercially favorable winter period. The plant comes from northern Australia and New Guinea,where it grows mostly on rocks.