What is this?

[Queenslander]

This is the top of plant, a little bent over


I am in sub-tropical eastern coast of Australia. Have found in my garden, growing on 2 trees, about 4 feet high, the above, coming out of the ground. Has terete shaped leaves, spiky point, the more water I give it the more aerial roots come out. The one above is a piece I have cut from the main stem. It looks v. healthy, can anyone help with its ID. Is it an orchid? We moved to this house nearly 2 years ago.

[trdyl]

It looks like an orchid plant to me from the genus Papilionanthe. Have you seen it bloom?

[Queenslander]

Originally Posted by trdyl

It looks like an orchid plant to me from the genus Papilionanthe. Have you seen it bloom?

Hi Ted, no. Only discovered it, 3 months ago. Have been giving it a lot of misting, fertilizer etc. It is the best it has looked. But fingers crossed for a flower. I suppose the only way to identify it, is by a flower. Whenever it does, I will post it. Thanks for your reply.

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[bellini girl]

Looks like a Papilionthe pedunculata to me.

[RJSquirrel]

that orchid spends most of the year looking like a bunch of tangled twigs so you could be right on

I have a name for stuff like that too

[Queenslander]

This, "orchid" is just one stem with leaves and roots, no other stems? Do you still think it is a Papilionanthe vandarum?

[Brenda Aarts]

I bought a Vanda teres from a grower from Brazil that had a very similar look to it. It of course no longer looks like that...gone to orchid heaven. Good luck with the ID.

[RobS]

Most likely it's a vanda like orchid there is many different species and families in Asia and some from Australia. Which one is impossible to tell without flowers.

[Queenslander]

Thanks fellow Orchid Board members for your help in IDing. I hope I live to see a flower. What is the best fertilizer to feed these Vanda type orchids?

[rastafouni]

Yes, looks like a Papilionanthe for sure.
They like full sun to bloom, even in heavy sun of Thailand they are cultivated on direct sun all day long. But if your plant is not used of it, you have to to introduce full sun little by little because even terete leaves can get burnt.
Otherwise under tropical climate it can bloom nearly all year round if it is a Papilionanthe teres but plants need a minimum size.