Rhynchostylis giganatea

Common Name - The Giant Rhynchostylis

The genus Rhynchostylis contains only 4 species of orchids ,nicknamed foxtails by American cultivators ,for its characteristic overhanging dense flower raceme . The inflorescence surpasses in length in the extremely shortened stem that is covered with two raws of stiff,glossy , belt-shaped leaves reaching lengths of upto 12 in /30 cm . The color of Rhynchostylis gigantea's 1.2 in/3 cm large flowers is highly variable -ranging between white and purple . Grow it in a similar way to the members of the genus Vanda . On account of its overhanging inflorescence,it is recommended to mount the plant on an epiphytic support or place it in a suspended basket .Rhynchostylis gigantea blooms between October and November and grows in Burma ,Thailand and Laos.

Synonyms

Anota densiflora Schlecter 1914; Anota gigantea (Lindl.) Fukuy. 1944; Gastrochilus giganteus (Lindl.) Kuntze 1891; Rhynchostylis gigantea subsp. violacea (Lindl.) Christenson 1985; *Saccolabium giganteum Lindley 1833; Vanda densiflora Lindley 1851-2; Vanda violacea Lindl. 1841