Remarkable vegetative forms and growth habits

[Jmbaum]

Hello Everyone,

I looking to compile a thread with photos and information on orchids that have remarkable / impactful vegetative forms, aside from what they may offer from a floral standpoint. Often times the plants are shown secondary (if at all) when searching online, so hoping to give to give some appreciation and ideas to less appreciated aspects.

I know we all have different ideas about what is might be remarkable, unique or beautiful, but hopping to add some real stunners in here, not just "jewel orchids."

**PLEASE ADD PHOTO and NAME**
I'll put up a few to get it started:


oeceoclades spathulifera


Eulophia petersii


Encyclia (Cattleya) citrina , Prosthechea karwinskii


Trichocentrum (Oncidium) stacyi


Cyrtopodium punctatum


Maxillaria reichenheimiana


phalaenopsis schilleriana (variable pattern)


Psychopsis Mendenhall 'Hildos' FCC/AOS
(Butterfly x papilio)




* also, do let me know if this thread already exist somewhere, I didn't have any luck finding something like it, especially that touches across all alliances *

[neophyte]

Cool! Just two with interesting foliage that randomly came to mind:
Nephelaphyllum (in the Collabieae, so a relative to Spathoglottis, Calanthe, etc.)
Malaxis calophylla

Epipactis helleborine, a common invasive species in North America, exists occasionally in a pure white form and a pure pink form (stem, leaves, everything).

[Jmbaum]

Yes these two are a bit lesser know. RIP my Malaxis

Nephelaphyllum pulchrum


Malaxis calophylla

Also I’ll add in:


Coelogyne monilirachis (who is brilliant in my terrarium)

[neophyte]

Whoah, that Coelogyne is crazy!!

[Jmbaum]

Originally Posted by neophyte

Whoah, that Coelogyne is crazy!!

One of the best decisions I made in the fog of joy that was Andy’s open house last September.

[neophyte]

Haha, I can see why!!

Lots of European terrestrials (Orchis, Dactylorhiza, etc.) have leaves with purple spotting.

Stenorrhynchos albidomaculatum - in the Cranichideae so maybe you would consider that a jewel orchid.

re the M. reichenheimiana – I think there's a closely related species, M. pseudoreichenheimiana, which apparently can be distinguished by the fact that its spots can be scratched off, whereas the spots on M. reichenheimiana cannot.

[Jmbaum]

I’m hoping we can overlook the traditional terrestrial jewel orchids on this thread. Really suggest things of scale and impact that someone may not have seen the plant of. For instance I had never known how intensely patterned the leaves of the Phalaenopsis Schilleriana was or then Psycopsis... always about the flower... but really the plants them selves are marvels to look at. I’m hoping more people take notice an breed in celebration of the attributes. Not just mutating a simple marginal variegation, but saturated leaf tones , distinct patterning, sculptural pseudobulbs, shades dusty blue foliage. If the same amount of effort went into all this as does goes into big round flowers, we’s have seen a much more diverse offering in the market. Greater interest in the place the full range of habitats species come from, and perhaps not so many orchid businesses folding.

Oh yes... and very interesting how the spots scratch off on the max. pseudor. When I learned that it thought it was so fascinating, but also wanted to avoid that species.

[neophyte]

I like the idea! There are so many crazy species out there.

Some interesting growth habits:

Grammatophyllum speciosum - monstrous cane-like pseudobulbs



Vanilla aphylla - huge leafless vine; there are a couple other leafless Vanilla species, I think (these and G. speciosum seem a bit difficult to keep in cultivation for space-limited growers lol)



Angraecum distichum
(a host of sect. Dolabrifolia species out there: A. aporoides, A. bancoense, etc.)



Dichaea - similar distichous growth habit

spiky seed capsule:


Dendrobium teretifolium - terete, pencil-like leaves (several similar species out there)

a similar species (D. striolatum):


Dendrobium cucumerinum - warty leaves

Dendrobium pugioniforme - thin pointy leaves (specific epithet refers to the supposedly dagger-like shape)


Dendrobium linguiforme - leaves look like tongues!

(lots of other sect. Dockrillia)

Dendrobium cuthbertsonii - warty leaves and bright, bright flowers





---------- Post added at 03:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:29 PM ----------

Paraphalaenopsis also has these giant pendent semiterete leaves. Some Holcoglossum too...

Paraphalaenopsis:




Holcoglossum:


Lots of Paphs from multiple sections have very pretty foliage too - P. concolor, P. purpuratum, P. delenatii... the list goes on....

[Jmbaum]

Could you add a photo for each when you have time?

Originally Posted by neophyte

I like the idea! There are so many crazy species out there.

Some interesting growth habits:

Grammatophyllum speciosum - monstrous cane-like pseudobulbs

Vanilla aphylla - huge leafless vine (this one and G. speciosum seem a bit difficult to keep in cultivation lol)

Angraecum distichum
(a host of sect. Dolabrifolia species out there: A. aporoides, A. bancoense, etc.)

Dichaea - similar distichous growth habit

Dendrobium teretifolium - terete, pencil-like leaves (several similar species out there)
Dendrobium cucumerinum - warty leaves
Dendrobium pugioniforme - thin pointy leaves (specific epithet refers to the supposedly dagger-like shape)
Dendrobium linguiforme - leaves look like tongues!
(lots of other sect. Dockrillia)

Dendrobium cuthbertsonii - warty leaves and bright, bright flowers

---------- Post added at 03:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:29 PM ----------

Paraphalaenopsis also has these giant pendent terete leaves. Some Holcoglossum too...

Lots of Paphs from multiple sections have very pretty foliage too - P. concolor, P. purpuratum, P. delenatii... the list goes on....

[neophyte]

Then there's also the leafless bunch: Dendrophylax, Chiloschista, Taeniophyllum, etc.

It would be so nice to see more Chiloschista and Taeniophyllum around...

---------- Post added at 04:00 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:59 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Jmbaum

Could you add a photo for each when you have time?

Oh yeah, sure.