Macodes preparing to flower

This is a plant of Macodes which I bought a few months ago.  It belongs to a group of terrestrial orchids known as  "Jewel Orchids" and are primarily grown for their attractive leaves.  The flowers are usually small and not as attractive compared to the large elaborate flowers of other orchids.  But then again beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  So to some insects, the flowers of such orchids may be the most attractive lure in the world.  A few Goodyera species are in the background but I will wait for them to flower before posting pictures of their attractive foliage.

I have a strong feeling this plant is Macodes Petola.  Its not easily found in the usual nurseries but with a bit of searching around, especially during orchid exhibitions, it can be found.

As for growing conditions, I am quite new to growing Jewels so I'm really not sure if I should be giving any advise but this plant is grown in my office with air-conditioning Mon-Friday 8am - 8 pm.
Medium is a mix of fine coconut husk (I cut them small), compost and sand.  I suspect one of the plants doesn't like the excessive moisture and is showing signs of discomfort.  This one is so far ok.  I use Aqua Zonic Super Bright T5 60 cm, 24W x2 as light source.  I turn off when I leave the office. Light is meant for aquarium and I bought it from one of the aquariums in Clementi Avenue 2.

Paphiopedilum concolor

The is a rather big plant of concolor alba which I recently purchased.  It has two large growths and each is now throwing out new shoots which is a good sign.  I grow my concolors in various types of medium including sand, small stones, pine bark, charcoal chips, clay pellets. 

A few other plants of P.concolor are also either flowering now or coming into flowering.  This one is  a plant bought last year from the Garden Festival in Gardens By The Bay.  I believe this is the variety from Kanchanaburi.  The tessellation on the leaves is different with dark purple on the underside.  Also most of the flowers have petals with dots arranged in a line down the middle.  This variety appears to prefer more humus in the medium.  But concolors are quite tolerant plants so I think anything will do.

Paphiopedilum godefroyae var alba 'Pan'

This is the second time that this plant is flowering.  The plant itself is a bit small in size but the flower is big.  P. godefroyae is grown in very much the same way as my other Brachys.  Same medium and same watering frequency.  This plant is now P. godefroyae var alba 'Pan'.

Paphiopedilum exul

The other exul flower is now fully open.  At first i thought the six plants i bought could be all from the same clump and broken into six sections.  Now, looking at this flower, i am sure it is a different plant because this flower has more green compared to the first.

P. exul is one of my favourites because they are definitely found at sea level and thus is an excellent candidate for beginners who wish to start growing paphs.

Paphiopedilum haynaldianum

This plant is another of my sure-bloom plants.  It must have come from the lowland as well because compared to my other haynaldianum, this one is so much more free flowering.  My other plant is also flowering soon but it has to reach quite a big size colony before it started flowering.  This particular plant however, is able to flower with just one mature shoot.

I have recently changed to using pine bark and orchid stones with crushed clay pellets.  Hope the plant can give me two growths soon.

Paphiopedilum godefroyae var alba

This plant is flowering again recently and produced a very nice and big white flower.  P. godefroyae is native to Thailand and can be found at low elevations so this makes them suitable for lowland weather conditions.

Paphiopedilum exul

This is one of my most favourite Paphs because it can be easily flowered in Singapore.  Found in Thailand from sea level to a maximum height of 50m.  Only 50m! It is even found growing in full sun! It is also tolerant of many types of medium but generally i use a stony mix with pine bark and some compost thrown in.  I shade them but i think i may be giving too much shade.  Now i am trying to see if they will flower better if given more light.

These plants are growing in front of the window and shaded by the roof.

They are sheltered from rain and direct sun but the area is very bright. The next flower should appear in a couple of weeks and if it turns out to be different from the first then it would be a bonus.

    The pic above shows the top flower.
    The pic below is the developing flower spike in front.

 These are some of the pots that i placed in the open so that they can receive more sunlight.      Hopefully a miracle will happen soon.

Cymbidium dayanum

Bought this plant from Song Orchids last year.  A bit of a mistaken identity cos i was actually looking for Cymbidium aloifolium but this flower is very similar so i mistakenly bought it.  I had intended to tie it to a tree behind the house but till today it is still in its pot.  Anyway, i did not regret making that mistake because this is such a beautiful Cymbidium.  I think the whole plant, leaves and flowers, is so graceful compared to Cym. aloifolium.

The plant is grown in moderate shade in a hanging pot with a pine bark + charcoal mix.

Bulbophyllum lasiochillum

This is an easy orchid to grow in Singapore.  It loves the hot to warm humid climate and will do well either placed in a pot or mounted on a piece of fern bark.

Two main color types exists; the yellow form and the dark purple form.  Interestingly the yellow form is extremely fragrant but i have yet to detect any fragrance from the dark purple form.  But the fruit flies must be able to smell something because both types of blooms are magnets for fruit flies.

When that happens, it becomes very easy to catch those flies; just place a clear plastic bag over the flower.  The flies are so mesmerised by the pheromones secreted that they are oblivious to the approaching plastic bag!

Paphiopedilum concolor var alba

Happy New Year 2015 to all my visitors!!

This flower opened about 2 days ago.  The plant is grown in moderate shade with the typical Brachy mix with lots of stony material.  Concolors are quite easy to grow in singapore but albinos tend to be a bit weaker genetically so lets hope this plant can thrive.

The color is the pale yellow background of the typical concolor.  In my opinion the form is not very good but generally the flower looks pleasant.

Should it be referred to as var. sulphurinum instead of var. alba? since alba means white? You decide.

A couple of days later .....

Paphiopedilum Shireen

Paph. Shireen is finally flowering after a long recovery from weevil attack.  It has also produced a new shoot which i hope will mature quickly and bring the plant back to its former size soon.  This plant is grown in moderate shade and used to be a frequent bloomer.

A few days later ....