hygrochilus-parishii-var-marriottiana

The name of the genus hints at the necter-moistened flower lip(the Greek word ''hygros'' means moist ,while ''chilos'' stands for lip ) of this orchid . It is an epiphytic species ,whose single thick stem reaches a length of up to 8 in /20 cm and is covered with two raws of elongated elliptic leaves that are 8-10 in /20 -25 cm long. The robust flower spike measures up to 16 in/40 cm and bears 5-10 flowers that are up to 2 in/5 cm in diameter. A typica specimen in this flower species has yellow tepals covered with reddish brown spots ,while the flowers of the var.marriottiana in the photo are pure brown. In both cases ,the lip is purple and the flower column is white. Cultivation is similar to that of the thermophilic species of the genus Vanda ,flowers appear between March and May . The species is known to grow in northern India ,southern China ,Laos and Vietnam;the var. marriottiana in the photo comes from the north of Thailand.