dendrobium phalaenopsis name change?

[Call_Me_Bob]

this says the dendrobium phalaenopsis was changed to vappodes phalaenopsis. is this true? Vappodes phalaenopsis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[trdyl]

At the moment according to Kew Vappodes phalaenopsis is a synonym for Dendrobium bigibbum which is still the accepted name. But later who knows with all the name changes that have been going on in recent years.

[Call_Me_Bob]

okay, thanks! i wasnt sure how correct the site i had was

[RosieC]

There are various 'bodies' who determine the names of orchids and sometimes they disagree between themselves on what something should be called.

This means that sometimes a new name is recognised by one of the bodies and not by the others.

Although there is a body based at Havard it seems to me a lot of people in the USA look to KEW in the UK. You can search their database at this link.
World Checklist of Selected Plant Families: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

As I understand it the name Dendrobium bigibbum originated in the Australian National Herbarium which is the body in that part of the world, while in Europe it was Dendrobium phalaenopsis. At least I notice that the American and European members of this board call it Den phal while the Antipodean members call it Den bigibbum.

It looks like KEW have now accepted Dendrobium bigibbum as the accepted name and perhaps we should all start using that as it's less confusing with the Phal genus.

Here is the KEW entry for Den phal which also lists Vappodes phalaenopsis as a synonym.
Dendropbium phalaenopsis

If you look at their entry for Den bigibbum it also lists Vappodes bigibbum as a synonym and there is a huge long list of synonyms there.
Dendrobium bigibbum

[RosieC]

Originally Posted by help

okay, thanks! i wasnt sure how correct the site i had was

If I'm in doubt I always check the KEW link I posted above for species.

There is another one for searching Hybrids as well. The International Orchid Register | Royal Horticultural Society

This hybrid one allows you to enter a hybrid name (grex) and it will tell you the parents, and it allows you to enter parents to see if their cross has been registered.

[Call_Me_Bob]

its all too confusing!!! i thought that d. phalaenopsis was different than d. biggibbum. but since they are the same, maybe we should start calling them biggibbum.

i will call them whatever you call them rosiec! that way i know at least one person will know what im talking about

what do you call it?

[PaphMadMan]

For every person that checks Kew/RHS sources to verify a preferred genus or species name for an orchid there are at least 2 that refuse to accept any changes no matter what. Most people don't have the time, the interest or the knowledge base to evaluate for themselves whether proposed name changes are legitimate or not, and only time will tell what becomes widely accepted. It is rarely a simple case of right or wrong and no name is ever official and universally accepted for all time.

Whenever you become aware of another name being used for a naturally occuring orchid genus or species, check Kew/RHS sources because that is as close to official for orchids as anything, but keep a record of the other name as well. That may be what you need to find other sources of information.

For hybrids it is a different situation. RHS is the absolute official source for accepted names for man-made hybrids. People may be slow to adapt to changes even then, but what RHS says for hybrids is unambiguously correct.

[RosieC]

I tend to call it phalaenopsis because I think more people on Orchid Board use that name and that's where I learnt it.

It really can be confusing all the name changes and/or different names in different places. I bought a Sophronitis, saw a massive Laelia with similar flowers and the same species name and thought no mine's something different... then found out it IS the same and that it's now a Cattleya officially except everyone else still calls it Laelia... I just can't keep up!

That's why I've book marked the links I sent you, that way you can check because as well as the accepted name it tells you synonms so you can start to learn what other people might call it.

[Call_Me_Bob]

exactly i dont have the time or knowledge, i just found it by accident, and wanted to know some deets. but since you said time can only tell, than i dont want anyone else to have to do research on my behalf.

by all means research, but dont do it because of me :P

[Call_Me_Bob]

Originally Posted by RosieC

I tend to call it phalaenopsis because I think more people on Orchid Board use that name and that's where I learnt it.

It really can be confusing all the name changes and/or different names in different places. I bought a Sophronitis, saw a massive Laelia with similar flowers and the same species name and thought no mine's something different... then found out it IS the same and that it's now a Cattleya officially except everyone else still calls it Laelia... I just can't keep up!

That's why I've book marked the links I sent you, that way you can check because as well as the accepted name it tells you synonms so you can start to learn what other people might call it.

wait! so laelias are all cattleyas? i thought i heard that somewhere. so its cattleya anceps or cattleya purpurata or cattleya cinnabarum?