Orchid For The Intermediate Greenhouse

 Orchids for the intermediate greenhouse

O. maculatum

has many scented, pale yellow flowers with brown spots; the lip has a red crest.

O. pulchellum

See Tolumnia pulchella.

 o. tigrinum

is a Mexican species with large, flat pseudo bulbs and an un branched spike growing to 40cm (16in) long. The yellow winter flowers have red-brown bars on the sepals and petals.

O. variegatum

See Tolumnia variegate.

Sherry Baby a famous hybrid with red flowers with white on the lip.

'Sweet Fragrance' is chocolate-scented.

Oncidioda

(Cochlioda x Oncidium)

These hybrids have multicolored flowers with narrow sepals and petals. Charlesworthii Branched spikes with many small red flowers with a pink and yellow lip.

Ornithophora

This genus contains two species of dwarf epiphyte from Brazil with pseudo bulbs set well apart on the stem. Because of this spreading habit, they are better in a small basket than in a pot; they like good light and plenty of air movement.

O. radicans

(synonym Sigmatostalix radicans) An attractive and reliable little plant with lots of small white flowers with a maroon column and yellow anther cap, in late summer.

Paphiopedilum

Slipper orchids have always fascinated growers and their popularity is steadily increasing, not least because of some spectacular new discoveries in recent years. About 70 species are known from South East Asia, from India to the Pacific Islands; most are terrestrial but some are epiphytic or grow on rocks. Although they are sympodial orchids, they do not have pseudo bulbs. The leaves are plain green or mottled, the latter often purple below.

In most species the 'flowers are borne singly but in some, there are several flowers on a spike; in that case, the flowers may open all at once or in succession. All have large flowers with the characteristic pouched lip. The petals are spreading or pendulous, sometimes twisted or with hairy warts along the edges.

All paphiopedilums need a free- draining compost — more die from a soggy medium than from any other cause. But as they have no storage organs, they should not remain dry for any length of time and benefit from being repotted every year. A great variety of composts can be used; all growers seem to have their own favorites. Many find rock wool successful, in particular a mix of absorbent rock wool and horticultural foam or coarse perlite. Another widely used mix is three parts of medium bark, one part of peat or peat substitute, one part of coarse perlite, with about half a teaspoon of dolomitic limestone added. Others include a mixture of equal parts of medium and fine bark with ten per cent perlite; and a mixture of medium and fine bark with chopped sphagnum moss.

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