Robiquetia pantherina

[ntgerald]

A botanical.

The species name is self -explanatory.

[LJA]

I've always been curious about the use of the term "botanical": would you say that this is a correct definition?

" Botanical orchids are the original, pre-hybrid species from which the myriad now-existing species have evolved."

[ntgerald]

You're putting me on the spot, lol...
I used it in the sense of " not commercially or commonly cultivated".

Reasons could include: blooms small and not colorful or fragrant; its rarity; difficulty of growing...

From interacting with other hobbyists, I applied the term as it was impressed on me. Of course, I could be totally mistaken.

[LJA]

lol NT, not trying to put you on the spot at all! I just honestly never understood why some orchid species were called "botanicals," and I came across that definition so thought I'd ask. "Botanical" in common usage just means derived or made from plants or plant parts, so I thought it was odd the way it was being applied to orchids. It may very well mean "rare," "difficult," or "not commonly grown" when it's used in an orchid context; I just really never knew. Still don't!

[Sue]

I think I've heard the term 'botanical' used most often as a euphemism, meaning "this is one which only species-nerds would ever find pretty or worth growing." So anything with barely visible or uninteresting blooms.

These blooms are really interesting, but I assume they must be quite small . . . but I quite like botanicals regardless . . .

[ntgerald]

It is not so bad, really.

[Rence]

In the Philippines, the term "botaical " usually refers to species of orchids or plants which has small and insignificant flowers (not so much importace to cutflower trade- usually traders like big flowers) But is equally important to the hybrids and species