Grammatophyllum scriptum from Sulawesi island

[Psyched]

Sulawesi is one of the main island in Indonesia. It is made famous by Sir Alfred Russel Wallace who spent some time learning the biological diversity in this island during one of his great journeys. It is also home to several endemic orchid species such as Dendrobium torajaense, Phalaenopsis celebensis, Bulbophyllum echinolabium, Vanda celebica to name a few.

Although Grammatophyllum scriptum has a wide distribution from Borneo, Philippines, to Papua New Guinea, it is worth noting that Sulawesi subspecies has a distinct feature. Flowers are not densely placed along the inflorescence and the spots are large and brown on olive background. Bulbs can grow as big as a soft drink bottle with aerial roots forming like bird nest. A hot growing orchid which prefers good air circulation especially with the aerial roots and grown under full sun.


The specimen plant. As comparison, a miniature Grammatophyllum is also blooming with a much smaller plant and lesser flower count.


Flower close up photo.

Greetings from Indonesia!