Dendrobium tetragonum var. giganteum

[Undergrounder]

Beautiful flower... and 12cm is still pretty big i reckon, even for a giganteum.

Pity about the splotching, luck of the draw i guess. A true gigenteum (capitisyork) will also have a tongue-like middle lobe. I think plenty of cross-breeding goes on in the wild for the different Tetragonums.

It actually looks a lot like a melaleucaphilum if it weren't for the size of the flower.

Oh by the way, have you got any other Dendrobiums to breed it with? That large flower size would be great with the smell of a falcorostrum or the substance of a phalaenopsis.

[harleymc]

According to Walter Upton in his 1989 book "Dendrobium Orchids of Australia" the northern (sub-tropical) forms of D tetragonum (including var giganteum) tend to be autumn to winter flowering whereas the type form (cooler growing) is spring flowering.
The hybrids i have with var giganteum in them that I have show autumn fowering or repeat flowering, which is an awesome trait to bring into hybridising with the cooler growing spring flowering types.
Just recently aquired a seedling of var giganteum so I'm looking forward to see if this holds true.