Dendrobium formosum

[zainal abidin]

Unusual species all white what they call as petaloid.

[Chris in Hamilton]

One of my favourite Den.!! Beautiful!

[PaphMadMan]

Gorgeous!

[JDT]

Beautiful white color!

[Sheryl]

Wow and the flowers are big!

[ksriramkumar]

Wow. Very nice. Saw this in Bangkok and was very expensive (40 USD)

[zainal abidin]

Wow. Very nice. Saw this in Bangkok and was very expensive (40 USD)

You guessed it right. Thanks Sriram.

---------- Post Merged at 10:12 PM ----------

[QUOTE=Aeronaut;434504]Is it fragrant?
Posted via Mobile Device[/QUOTE
Faint traces of smell especially in the morning.

---------- Post Merged at 10:15 PM ----------

I have not heard of an alba form of this species, which certainly makes a very lovely flower. It is not found in Malaysia is it Zain ? Not according to my books anyway - but the books are not always right !
One of my books - the invaluable Baker & Baker - says that a warm growing variety ( D.f.gigantea, grows at low altitudes ( and hence warmer) in Vietnam and lowland India ,so your country might well be a possibility for that.

No Geoff I got it from Thai vendor when he came to Malaysia for orchid fair and the species also is not native to my country mostly from Indochina.

---------- Post Merged at 10:17 PM ----------

After googling, some japanese website labelled this as Dendrobium formosum fma petaloid. It is unique, not only because of pure white but the lip is different.

Exactly very odd as compared to ordinary formosum that why I took this plant as it's very rare.

---------- Post Merged at 10:21 PM ----------

The blossom is supposed to be fragrant so maybe that is enough to draw in a pollinator. It would go to origin of the fragrance, perhaps??

Another thought,

Flowers have ultraviolet patters that only insects can see. A flower might look solid yellow to our eyes but can be very light with a dark center to a bee. So, while the formosum flower might have lost its yellow center it still might have an ultraviolet center.

Thanks Karin for the info given very interesting indeed.

---------- Post Merged at 10:25 PM ----------

All very true ; I am off to Thailand and perhaps Laos in March ( on a conducted orchid tour) we shall no doubt visit many orchid farms as well as - hopefully - seeing lots in the wild - the tour runs every year, and last year saw over 50 different species flowering. in the wild. ( My wife is going into a nursing home for the 2 weeks, as 'respite care' -my respite, her care...). Of course it is too much to hope for, to see any one particular species, or variety, in the wild, but I shall be on the look out !

Geoff would love to see you and your orchids pictures in situ all the best and Good Luck.

---------- Post Merged at 10:28 PM ----------

Agreed, you must take lots of pictures Geoff! I don't know if the petaloid form exists in the wild. Could be a horticultural sport. Sriram saw it in Bangkok but there seems to be only two Japanese growers that offer it online ( quite expensive for a 3" pot) and they are both advertised as self's. Zainal, did you get your's in Malaysia? Love to find one!

No Chris got it from Thailand vendor when he came for orchid fair last year

[Aeronaut]

Is it fragrant?
Posted via Mobile Device

[Brutal_Dreamer]

It is so pretty!!

cheers,
BD

[Dorsetman]

I have not heard of an alba form of this species, which certainly makes a very lovely flower. It is not found in Malaysia is it Zain ? Not according to my books anyway - but the books are not always right !
One of my books - the invaluable Baker & Baker - says that a warm growing variety ( D.f.gigantea, grows at low altitudes ( and hence warmer) in Vietnam and lowland India ,so your country might well be a possibility for that.