Dendrobium oligophyllum

A small and interesting orchid which is found in Vietnam and Thailand. Very easy to grow and flower in our weather. This plant had been with me for a very long time but i find that it is a slow grower .

Phalaenopsis venosa

This is a venosa from LMH nursery. Not the best around but not too bad either. Got this from him about six months ago.

Orchids on Penang Hill

On the way up, the tram will pass a temple and not long after that on a huge boulder you will see this mess of Dendrobiums? I cannot confirm cos there were no flowers. You have to see it for yourself to appreciate the size of this boulder and the immensity of this massive clump. I only managed to snap a close-up of s small section.

This orchid is everywhere. As common as Dendrobium crumenatum of the lowland. You see it immediately when you get off the tram and on lots of other old trees.

Grammatophyllum speciosum (Tiger orchid) growing on an old tree. I read that Singapore used to have 2 of these plants sighted; one in Ubin and one in Tuas (when the police wore short pants).

This should be a Flickingeria?

This tree has a large clump of cymbidium on it together with other orchids. Cymbidiums are so common in Penang that some baby plants are just a few feet from ground level on roadside trees in the city. I've even seen a huge clump of vandaceous orchid on top of a tree right in the middle of the city.

Another bunch of orchids on a tree outside Bellevue Hotel.

Tree with lots of Orchids near the canon.

Mr. Lim Song's Paphs

An orchid veteran's own way of growing Paphs. Very interesting cos the plants are very healthy and are even spreading. Mr. Lim had grown barbatums, callosums, niveums etc together! I would think that the barbatas and the brachys should be grown in different medium? But Mr. Lim just laughed at me and padded my back. What is his secret recipe? The water from the hills? The rural proximity to the nature in Balik Pulau??

Dendrobium signatum

An unusual event!! This unknown Dendrobium flowered! When i bought it from my favorite market i was told the plant was Dendrobium nobile. Being a typical Singaporean, i selected this bunch cos there was another plant of Den. chrysotoxum attached to it and cannot be separated. Recently an old cane threw out three lovely flowers. It is Dendrobium signatum, the pure yellow variety.

Dendrobium distichum

Very small but very beautiful Dendrobium distichum, a gift from a veteran orchid grower Mr. Yusof Alsagoff when i visited his home in Siglap many years back. Just like Den. indivisum this orchid is always in flower.

Paph. Laser x Pulsar

This is the re-flowering of this paph from Song Orchids. A very strong plant with slightly mottled leaves and the flower is classified in Taiwan as "Maudiae Type". The plant is having a new growth now and if it can throw out another flower spike then it might be worth to self it. Not many of these Taiwanese crosses can make it in our climate. Some may do well for a season and i believe the plant thinks it is still summer and waits for cooler autumn and winter to arrive. But when that don't happen, the plant slowly weakens and most succumb to mites and other diseases.

Phal. bellina Alba

My Phal bellina Alba of more than 10 years flowered again. The plant is dripping with water because i always wake up early to water them and when the sun finally comes up i start photographing them.

It is very difficult nowadays to find a pure alba because the market is now flooded with clones, re-clones, crosses, back-crosses and so on. Of course there are people who look for the real thing, and people who are just happy with a nice flower. Wonder what is more important, obsession or happiness?

Small niveum

This is a very small niveum from the wild. About 3.5 cm across. Not a thaianum because the staminode is typical of niveum.

Paph. In-Charm White x niveum

A nice Paph from Taiwan which keeps its rounded shape many days after the flower opens. The flower on this plant has an interesting paper-like look.

Paph. Shin Yi's Pride

Another stunning multi-flower hybrid from Taiwan. This one is Paph. Michael Koopowitz x Paph. rothschildianum. The newly opened flower's petals are held almost horizontal like those of rothschildianum but later start to droop down. The petals can be much longer on some plants but i like this plant for its brighther colour.