Phalaenopsis violacea var. alba

I do not grow but a couple of Phalaenopsis since I have neither the room nor the conditions for them.  The couple I do grow are not in my orchidarium but on a bathroom windowsill.  This is one of them, Phalaenopsis violacea var. alba, a variety without the usual purple markings of this species.  It is from Sumatra and Malaysia and blooms consecutively on stems that continue to lengthen for years.  It is not only very beautifully colored, in my opinion, but has a wonderful fragrance on warm summer days.  The plant can become very large with broad flat leaves, but the flowers are around 4 cm.

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Phalaenopsis violacea var. alba.

I purchased this species as a tiny seedling and it has been in bloom off and on for several years now, as is characteristic of the species, which blooms on long lasting flower spikes that produce only one flower at a time but do so over many years.  The ordinary form of this species has purple coloring especially on the lower parts of the flower, but this is a colorless form or alba.  Phalaenopsis violacea is from Malaysia and Sumatra.

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Dendrobium malvicolor

This charming little species is from Sumatra.  It is only 10cm tall with clusters of 3cm flowers that appear to be white but have a pink blush.  Because the flowers are pendant, the fact that anther cap is purple is not evident either except on closer inspection.  The plant is quite temperature tolerant and blooms faithfully for me every spring on the older growths.  The growths are on a wiry "stem" with a fattened end that holds several small leaves.

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Phalaenopsis violacea var. alba

Once Phalaenopsis violacea begins to bloom, it is seldom out of bloom, since the flower spikes continue to lengthen and produce flowers, usually a few at a time.  The species is from Southeast Asia and is very fragrant, especially when it is warm.  My plant is still quite small but already has two flower spikes.

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Dendrobium malvicolor

Dendrobium malvicolor is a miniature species from Sumatra.  It's name means "Mallow-colored Dendrobium," and it is only 10 cm tall with 3 cm flowers.  The growths are very thin at the base, thickening at the end.  The flowers come in clusters of three to six near the end of the growths.

My plant is grown mounted.  It is supposed to be temperature tolerant, but I grow it cool, watering it every day.  It is supposed to have a two to three month drier rest in the winter with less water and fertilizer, but my plant does fine without a rest and blooms faithfully every spring.

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Dendrobium malvicolor

Dendrobium malvicolor is another delightful miniature orchid.  It is native to Sumatra and is reputed to be very tolerant of different growing conditions.  I grow it cool but it is supposed to tolerate warm temperatures as well.  It is best grown mounted and is supposed to have a dry rest in the winter.

The growths are about 5 cm long and are thin and wiry at the base, thickened towards the top rather like a club.  It flowers in late winter or spring after dropping its leaves and the flowers come in clusters of three to five.  They appear to be white but actually have a pinkish blush especially at the base of the flowers.

The tip of the column is also bright purple, adding interest to the flowers.  Its name, malvicolor, refers to the supposed resemblance between the color of its flowers and those of the mallow plant.  It belongs to the section Pedilonum and has long-lasting flowers, that have a sparkling, crystalline texture, eviden especially in the last photo.

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