Phal Violacea info please
 

Hello everyone,
I am getting very confused about this species. I have seen several different violacea's and I cannot tell if they are the same or different. Phal Violacea var. coerulea is the bluest of the species-correct? (violacea is the species and coerulea is the variety?) What is the difference between the var. sumatra and the var. borneo? What about Violaceas such as 'Tequila Sunrise' x borneo etc? And the last one- what about Phal bellina? (my book lists it as the same as violacea)
Thanks for sharing!

I'm just learning about these guys too but this is what I have learned so far. Violacea is from Malaysia (Sumatra), and the flower is mostly a fushia/violet color, heavily scented. Bellina is from Borneo and used to be called violacea var Borneo, it's bi to tri color with the fushia/violet color in the center of the flower and light to bright green towards the outside of the petals. Coerulea in any plant means it is blue or has blue undertones. Here are a couple of pictures to illustrate the color differences.

IOSPE PHOTOS

IOSPE PHOTOS

I have a Phal. violacea x Phal. bellina and it looks like this. As you can see it has a lot more fushia/violet in it than the bellina.
http://www.orchidboard.com/community...rchids_008.jpg

there are 8 types of violacea the sumatra and malaysian are what would be considered a violacea along with the violacea var. alba and the violacea var coerulea. The colors on these can and most likely vary fromone to the other. the violacea var borneo has been reclassified as a belina. the blooms on a belina are useally more colorful and are larger than the violacea 2" compared to 1 1/4. the infloresence on a violacea is longer than the bellina 4 to 5 inches compared to 2 3/4 inches. both are higly fragrant the bellina can rebloom year after year on the same infloresence on older plants. there also is a all green bellina form that i would love to have if any one happens to have one. in my opinoin i would just get all of them and you woud never be dissapointed

Can anyone tell me if we should trim the flower stock back after the violacea has finished blooming? I read someplace they rebloom off the previous years stock. I can't find the article that I read this from.

regards, mary

it depends on the type as each are different

my hybrid blue violacea - question on cutting stem
 

The violecia I got is a sapphire doll AM/AOS X Harvey cross. Does this help to identify which type it is so I can know whether to cut the stem after flowering? It is blue so thats a malaysian?

mary

Help!!! Confused
 

Dear fellow members,

I have read all sorts of forum on Phalaenopsis Bellina and Phalaenopsis Violacea. No doubt they are distant cousin.

But I have this Phalaenopsis "Confused" on hand (see my profile pic). This orchid was a gift from good friends. They know I like Orchids very much. By looking at the size of flowers, they look like Phal. Bellina rather than Phal. Violacea but their petals and sepals were much narrower compared to the Phal. Bellina that I have seen before. By looking at the colour, they look more like Phal. Violacea because Phal. Bellina has a more brighter yellow or dark-purple-ish.

Thanks for your comments in advance:bowing

He Allen and welcome to Orchid Board :welcome:

There are a lot of Phal hybrids and generally it can be impossible to tell exactly what you have unless it is labled. Many are not even named at all.

Having said that you has a more destinctive look that then mass of similar ones found everywhere as unknown hybrids, but I would still guess that it is some sort of hybrid.

Thanks Rosie for your info.
Nevertheless, I still love my new member of my collections.:biggrin:

Allen, Welcome to OB!

It was not until 1995 the var Borneo, bellina, was given species status. So you have many years that var Borneo and var Sumatra were repeatedly crossed to one another thinking that it was a the same species. I am sure that you will find something in between the two listed as violacea out there as well.