About Orchids

Phalaenopsis
A genus of approximately 60 species of orchids (family Orchidaceae). The abbreviation in the horticultural trade is Phal. Phalaenopsis are among the most popular orchids sold as potted plants owing to the ease of propagation and flowering under artificial conditions. They were among the first tropical orchids in Victorian collections.READ MORE

Cattleya
A genus of 42 species of orchids from Costa Rica to tropical South America. The genus was named in 1824 by John Lindley after William Cattley, who received and successfully cultivated specimens of Cattleya labiata that were used as packing material in a shipment of other orchids.

They are widely known for their large, showy flowers. The flowers of the hybrids can vary in size from 5 cm to 15 cm or more. They occur in all colors except true blue and black. The typical flower has three rather narrow petals: two are fringed, and the third is the conspicuous lip with a fringed margin and various markings and specks. At the base, the fringed margins are folded into a tube. Each flower stalk originates from a pseudobulb. The number of flowers varies; it can be just one or two, or sometimes up to ten.READ MORE

Paphiopedilum (Lady Slipper)
A genus in the orchid family (Orchidaceae) of approximately 77 species native to South China, India, Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. The genus has been given its own subtribe, the Paphiopedilinae. The genus is abbreviated Paph.

Paphiopedilum (sometimes colloquially referred to as "Paphs") are considered highly collectible by growers. Paphs are commonly referred to as the Lady’s or Venus’ Slipper Orchids, so named from the unusual shape of the pouch (labellum) of the flower, which was said to resemble a lady’s slipper. The pouch functions by trapping insects so that they are forced to climb up past the staminode, behind which they collect or deposit polliniaREAD MORE

Oncidium
This genus was first described by Olof Swartz in 1800 with the orchid Oncidium altissimum, which has become the type species. Its name is derived from the Greek word "onkos", meaning "swelling". This refers to the callus at the lower lip.

Oncidium species are characterised by the following properties :
• presence of column wings
• presence of a complicated callus on the lip
• pseudobulbs with one to three leaves.
• several basal bracts at the base of the pseudobulbs.

The flowers of the Oncidium genus come in shades of yellow, red, white and pink. The petals are often ruffled on the edges, as is the lip. The lip is enormous, partially blocking the small petals and sepals. Some Oncidium orchids are very long : Oncidum altissimum and Oncidium baueri can grow to a height of 5 m, while Oncidum sarcodes can reach 3 m. They are known as 'spray orchids' among some florists. They are very varied and are easily hybridised with Odontoglossum.READ MORE