Bulbo membranifolium

Paul the flower is about 2"

I won a 3 growth Bulbo lasianthum today at a very good price. I was willing to go almost 3X what I paid for this awarded division.

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This is a beautyful plant Ron, nice spots. Did you say you had a spotted variaty of the Bulbo. medusae...

Okay, being new here and to orchids, I do not understand what a bulbo is. Somebody help me out!

Bulbophyllum is the largest genus in the orchid family Orchidaceae. With 1805 species, it is also one of the largest genera in the entire plant kingdom, exceeded only by Senecio and Euphorbia. This genus is abbreviated in the trade journals as Bulb.

This genus was first described by Louis-Marie Aubert du Petit-Thouars (botanical abbreviation Thouars) in his book "Histoire particulière des plantes orchidées recueillies sur les trois Iles Australes d’Afrique, de France, de Bourbon et de Madagascar", describing 17 Bulbophyllum species. There are now more than 2,800 records (accepted names and synonyms) for this genus. This large number and the great variety of its forms make this genus a real nightmare for a taxonomist : a 120 sections and subgenera have been listed. Some of these may deserve a generic status. Several species have ten synonyms ! Up to now a general review of this genus is lacking. But as Carlyle A. Luer of Missouri Botanical Garden disentangled the similar chaos in the Pleurothallidinae, so we may expect that a phylogenetic study of this genus will gain us a better insight in this large genus.

The scientific name has been derived from the Latin word bulbus (bulb-like) and the Greek word phyllon (leaf), referring to the pseudobulbs on top of which the leaf is growing.
The center of diversity is in the montage forests of Papua New Guinea (more than 600 species) which seems to be the evolutionary homeland, though the genus is pantropical and widespread occurring in Australia, Southeast Asia with over 200 species in Borneo), Africa Madagascar (with 135 species, some endemic) and in tropical central and South America.

The general characteristics for this genus are : single-noded pseudobulbs, the basal inflorescence and the mobile lip.

This genus covers an incredible range of vegetative forms, from tall plants with cane-like stems, to root climbers that wind or creep their way up tree trunks. Other members are pendulous epiphytes (growing on other plants), and quite a number that have developed succulent foliage to a greater or lesser degree. Some species are lithophytic. One species has almost become leafless and uses its pseudobulbs as the organs of photosynthesis.

These orchids with a sympodial growth have rhizomatous stems with often angled pseudobulbs. The thin to leathery leaves are folded lengthwise.

Many Bulbophyllum species have the typical odor of rotting carcasses, and the flies they attract assist in their reproduction through pollination.

The erect to pendent inflorescence arises laterally from the base of the pseudobulb. The flower form has a basic structural blueprint that serves to identify this genus. But this form can be very diverse : compound or single, with few to many flowers, with the resupinate flowers arranged spirally or in two vertical ranks. The sepals and the petals can also be very varied : straight or turned down, without footstalk or with a long claw at the base. They are often hairy of callous. There are two to four hard and waxy pollinia with stipes present or absent. The fruits are beakless capsules.

Some species are known for their extremes of vegetive and floral form:

* Bulbophyllum beccarii
* Bulbophyllum barbigerum
* Bulbophyllum falcatum
* Bulbophyllum globuliforme
* Bulbophyllum macphersonii
* Bulbophyllum medusae

New species are being discovered every year, such as

* Bulbophyllum ciluliae Bianch. & J.A.N.Bat., Sitientibus 2004
* Bulbophyllum orezii Sath.Kumar 2004

There is one intergeneric hybrid : Triasphyllum (abbr.: Tphm.) (Bulbophyllum x Trias)

Source: Reference.com

Cheers,
BD

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We could learn a lot from crayons: some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, some have weird names, and all are different colors....but they all exist very nicely in the same box. ...Hmmm? .

Wow! I doubt I'll remember all that, but thank you.

LOL! You will not have to remember all of it. I just added it to the glossary here on OrchidTalk. So now, when you see the term, it is linked to its description. BTW - did you check out the links toward the bottom of the list? Some of the referenced bulbos appear here in posts already.

Cheers,
BD

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We could learn a lot from crayons: some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, some have weird names, and all are different colors....but they all exist very nicely in the same box. ...Hmmm? .

I didn't, but I'm going to.

I saw in another thread that phals don't like spaghum, which I never knew, but now I know why I have NEVER been able to keep one alive!

I'm learning something new from you guys every day!

Awesome! It all depends on how often you water and your how your orchid is potted.

Cheers,
BD

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We could learn a lot from crayons: some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, some have weird names, and all are different colors....but they all exist very nicely in the same box. ...Hmmm? .

a Bruce said, potting of Phals depends on many factors. I happen to like Sphagnum to grow my Phals in. I use Sphag either in a basket or a clay pot that has good drainage. I never pack it tightly but leave it fluffy. At times I will put a styrofoam peanut at the root level, directly under the crown of the plant.

Nice article Bruce!

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