Hi, I've been told these orchids are from Sri Lanka. I have no idea what they are, they don't seem to be in any of the books I have. Can any help me identify them please? The first I think is a bulbophylum - but it is not like any I have ever seen before. As to the second - I have no idea. Your thoughts would be most welcome thank you Laurence
Very hard to say, but whatever they are, the first is not healthy. To me, it looks like a Cattleya type. It seems to have a bud, so if it opens, post a pic. The medium looks quite wet, so try to dry it out a bit. Use some Safer's soap on it to try to keep the bugs at bay, if there are any. The second one, I don't know. Where did you get the plants? Who told you they were from Sri Lanka?
I agree with Kevin the first plant does look to be a Cattleya type (both growth habit and remaining bud). Not sure about the other. Shaun
The first picture, It’s not a Cattleya it has no pseudobulbs, It appears to have a fruit on it, from the base it resembles a Paphiopedilum, a brighter and more clear photo would help.
The plant is too small and sick to see the pseudobulbs in this photo. The leaves do look like Cattleya-type leaves. I've had plants of my own that have looked like this, so I will say it is something in the Cattleya alliance. The 'fruit' is a seedpod (orchid seedpods are usually not called fruits). I had said earlier that it was a bud, but looking again, it looks more like a seedpod. If so, the plant will be using it's energy to produce seed instead of making a healthier plant.
The term seedpod is bad terminology, seed-capsule, green capsule, dry capsule, some may use green pod, dry pod. Collins English Dictionary-complete and unabridged Harpercollins publishers 1991,1994,1998,2000,2003 “Quotes” Seed capsule seed case N (Life Sciences and Allied Applications/Botany) The part of a Fruit enclosing the seed; pericorp. “End of quote” The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Orchids Edited by Alec Pridgeon Timber press Inc. ISB 0-88192-267-6 Reprinted 1994,1995,1997,1998,1999,2000,2001 In the glossary page 292 “And I quote” Pod (see capsule) Capsule: a dry fruit splitting along one or more sutures; the fruit type in the orchid family. “end of quote” I have spent 41 years of my life as a student of orchidology, even with a PhD I still tell every one I am just a student. The plant is in stress mode and the photo is weak in quality, as for the seed capsule/ fruit that’s obvious.
Thanks for correcting me. The common lingo is still 'pod', though. Most people do not use the 'technical' or 'correct' terms for many things, but we all know what they mean.
So very true, Kevind76 there is a lot of bad and incorrect information out there. For people who wish to learn more about orchids, and learn correctly it is difficult at best. Really just to many show-boaters and so called experts…..
Yeah, and don't get me started on the whole 'clone' vs. 'clonal variety' vs. 'variety' thing. That can get confusing for the uninitiated and the initiated.
Yes mind blowing, here in China when I go to the flower markets to look at orchids, if they have yellow or gold edged leafs, they try to tell you it’s a mutant and its very expensive.
The third photo is most likely an Oberonia species. There are 15 recorded species of Oberonia in Sri Lanka and without a photo of the flower (which is tiny) it's virtually impossible to exactly identify which species it is. The other two photos are not clear enough to see. If you have better photos I might be able to help. Btw the first photo, if it is actually from Sri Lanka, is most certainly not a cattleya or related genus as they come from central and south America and there are no cattleyas native to Sri Lanka or Asia. Hope this helps.
The second photo is most likely a bulbophyllum species. But the photo makes it difficult to identify it correctly. It could even be a dendrobium diodon or an Eria species. If you can post very clear hi-res photos it might be easier to exactly identify the genus. If it is a bulbophyllum, without photos of the flowers it will be tough to say exactly which species it is.