The Orchid Garden

Dimorphorchis

Question:

Rebecca Northen in her book Home Orchid Growing describes an orchid called Dimorphorchis.  It seems to have two different flower forms on the same spike.  Does anyone have any more information on this plant or know of a Thank you.

Dear Bob: Dimorphorchis is an, apparently, bispecific genus.  One, D. rohaniana I have never seen offered for sale.  The other, D. lowii is occasionally available from folks who specialize in Vandaceous plants. (Combining entrys from Hawkes’ Encyclopedia and Williams’ Manual) The plants have long, 6-12 foot, infloresences with up to 40-50 flowers each.  They grow high up in treetops in very hot and humid forrests in Borneo. Blooming is supposed to be July-Sept.  It is sometimes included in the genera:  Vanda, Arachis, Arachnanthe or Renanthera (as far as I can tell, always with the specific epithet of lowii.   Hope this helps, Marquis

Response:

Ron, the owner of Taylor Orchids – Bluebush Road, Monroe, Mi. has a specimen of D. lowii; he sometimes parts with a kiki if you twist his arm hard enough.  Mine is approx 2.5 feet tall and grows well with the Vandas at the top of the greenhouse  (Michigan conditions) – no flowers yet

Response:

Ron, the owner of Taylor Orchids – Bluebush Road, Monroe, Mi. has a specimen of D. lowii; he sometimes parts with a kiki if you twist his arm hard enough.  Mine is approx 2.5 feet tall and grows well with the Vandas at the top of the greenhouse  (Michigan conditions) – no flowers yet

Where in the greenhouse is it?  I browse through Taylor Orchids fairly frequently, but I’ve never noticed the Dimorphorchis. Nick

Response:

Hi Nick, There are a few potted kikis  1st isle to the right as you walk in the greenhouse with the Vandas.  The specimen (approx 10′ as I recall is to the left of the main walk in "his" section.   Dick Wagner

Response:

D. lowii and D. rossii are the two best known species, with a host of variations. See Orchids of Borneo part II (Royal Botanical Gardens pub, ?1994) These are not easy to grow. They need uniform heat, light and humidity throughout the year and are nonetheless very slow growing. The only one that I have ever seen in flower in cultivation was in Borneo itself. Dick Warren’s Equatorial Plants (Barnards Castle, Co. Durham, UK) sells seedlings of both spp. Mine have grown exactly one inch in three years.   Oliver Sparrow

Response:

Rebecca Northen in her book Home Orchid Growing describes an orchid called Dimorphorchis.  It seems to have two different flower forms on the same spike.  Does anyone have any more information on this plant or know of a Thank you.

Response:

Filed under: Orchid Flower

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