Makarimi Abdullah
This post I want to share my orchid at OdD on the primary intergeneric hybrid orchid. Coincidentally I plant the parentage and this hybrid in my garden. Rhynchovola David Sanders or well known as Brassavola David Sanders. This is primary intergeneric hybrid between Brassavola cucullata and Rhyncolaelia dgibyana. Previously the R. dgibyana is classified in the same family of Brassavola.



Brassavola cucullata ([Linné] R. Brown) is a smaller plant, which prefers to grow mounted . Its pseudobulbs are long and thin (thick pencil-like leaves and pseudobulbs), and typically produce a single flower. The flowers exude a powerful fragrance at night. It comes from the West Indies, Central and northern South America where it is a warm to cool growing epiphyte of coastal rainforests up to 1800 meters in elevation. As long as bright light is provided, this delightful Cattleya relative is quite adaptable and will bloom regularly.

Brassavola dgibyana (previously) ([Lindley] Schlecter) is the famous orchid that is the responsible party for the "B" in many Blc.'s, that is, Brassocattleyas and Brassolaeliacattleyas. Now accurately called Rhyncholaelia digbyana, the orchid is still horticulturarly known as Brassavola digbyana because of the hundreds of hybrids that have been registered with that name. This orchid has the large 4-5 inch (10-12.5cm) flowers with deeply fimbriate lip that has added the fringe to many Cattleya hybrids. The color is usually glassine green and sometimes more whitish yellow and the flowers are night fragrant indicating a moth as the pollinator. This orchid is found in Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras, often in severe conditions of bright light and prolonged dryness, occasionally growing epiphytically on cactus. This orchid does not appreciate prolonged wetness, for that reason many orchidists choose to grow it mounted so that the roots may dry quickly.

The hybrid Brassavola David Sanders have both characteristic of these parentage including have fragrant at night same as their parentage. This hybrid was registered by Sanders in 1938.

References: Orchid Care and CNYOS, Vol.3, (4): January 2002.

If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need. - Marcus Tullius Cicero

5 Responses

  1. This orchid will be good to grow near porch where we can enjoy its fragrant at night. I wonder why flowers that produce fragrant at night are usually white in colour.


  2. Rosie Gan Says:

    I love cattleyas. Have a few left, but they are not blooming. I also have a fragrant one -yellow.Yours looks rare and expensive.
    Rosie


  3. Malar Says:

    That's very unique orchid!


  4. Cher> Thanks, flowers have their own beauty with a lot of different shapes.

    Diana> Good suggestion ;)At night there are no light, so with the fragrant and the bright color can attract the insect. Whit can see clearly in the dark.

    Rosie> Thanks for visiting me.There are not blooming, maybe the light is not enough for them. A lot of cattelya have fragrant, I like that. My Catt not expensive, I can got ~USD12 per pot here. Yes I have some rare orchid in my collection.

    Malar> A lot of unique orchids especially highland orchids and amazon orchids.