Phalaenopsis gigantea

Phalaenopsis gigantea is an orchid of the genus Phalaenopsis of the subfamily Epidendroideae of the family i>Orchidaceae. Native to Borneo. Listed in CITES, appendix II. In Borneo they are known as "Elephant Ears" for the huge leaves they present, which when cultivated easily exceed 60 centimeters.

View of the plant

Description

The Phalaenopsis gigantea shows a monopodial development habit. The rhizome develops erect and at its end produces two thick and fleshy alternate and elliptical leaves each year. The oldest basal leaves fall off at the same time. The plant thus retains five to six leaves. The leaves are shiny on both sides, broad, pendulous, and coriaceous. The shape of the oblong-ovoid, or elliptical, rounded leaves about 5 dm long and 2 dm wide.
They do not have pseudobulbs and the storage of water and reserve substances is verified in their leaves, with broad and consistent blades.
Short and thick stem, completely wrapped in folded leaves. Bracts triangular, pointed, concave from 5 to 6 mm. Under optimal conditions it produces several stems simultaneously each bearing 20 to 30 tightly packed flowers
The fleshy flowers of a size of 5 cm. The flowers consist of 3 sepals similar to the 3 petals, in the middle of them is the column (fusion of the stamens and pistils) which is fleshy, white, cylindrical, dilated at the base, about 11 mm.
Trilobed lip, three times smaller than the sepals, fleshy. Lateral lobes triangular sickle-shaped, with a flattened callus towards the center. Ovoid or ovoid-subbromboid intermediate lobe notched on the lateral edges with an ovoid callus on the appendage Rounded apex with a yellow base and yellow fleshy callus dotted with red.
The color varies from white to cream or greenish yellow, lighter at the base of the sepals and petals. The floral segments are decorated with spots or bars, sometimes very dense, reddish-brown, hazelnut, purple, or brown-violet and mild perfume.

Habitat

Epiphytic orchid. In the wild they are found under the forest canopy in the lower part moisture, protected from direct sunlight. It develops on tree trunks with abundant moss from where the roots of the plant extract nutrients with the remains of the tree's bark. At altitudes from sea level to 400 m s. no. m..

Cultivation

These plants are very demanding when it comes to cultivation. It requires minimum conditions very similar to those of the Cattleya.

• Temperature

It supports temperatures between 14 and 35 °C with a preference of temperature during the day of 20-24 °C. To make it flower, you have to maintain a temperature difference of 5 °C between day and night for a month.

• Light

Phalaenopsis gigantea prefer not very bright light, without direct midday sun. His ideal is between 3,000 and 7,000 lux. To do this, they can be placed next to a window facing east or west, with a curtain or fine curtain in between. Without direct sunlight as the leaves can burn. The roots of these orchids are green, they have chlorophyll, therefore they are capable of photosynthesis, so it is convenient that they are in colorless pots.

• Water

Preferably non-calcareous and chlorine-free (use filter cartridges if the available water is very calcareous). The ambient humidity should be between 50 and 60%, although it should be higher the higher the temperature.

• Irrigation

Moderate. You have to let the compost dry a little between two waterings. The roots prefer compost with good drainage. Reduce watering when the new pseudobulbs are mature. Some varieties prefer the roots to dry out quickly.

• Humidity

They like vaporizations.

• Clarification

Usually in late winter or spring, after flowering. They tolerate small pots well. Preferably use a non-porous pot (no terracotta pots), so as not to concentrate the mineral salts. If not, it is recommended to moisten the compost with clear water from time to time. After the pot change, wait about two weeks before starting the normal rhythm of watering. Steam the underside of the leaves.

• Substrate

Fine to medium granulometry, based on pine bark, attapulgite or argex (variable size spheres), charcoal, polystyrene.
It is convenient, not only in Phalaenopsis but in orchids in general, to disinfect the culture medium prior to its use. An effective and harmless method for both plants and the environment is disinfection by heat action.
The process consists of placing the well-moistened prepared mixture in a roasting pan and taking it to a conventional oven for 20 minutes at a temperature of 180 °C, taking care that it does not dry out excessively to avoid burning.
Remove and let cool completely. Once cold, moisten again (when planting the substrate must always be wet).

• Bonds

Because they are epiphytic plants that live on tree trunks and collect the rainwater that runs off, they do not require great fertilizer.
They sell special fertilizers for them, but it is enough to use a fertilizer for indoor plants, reducing its dose to a quarter, which we will apply every 10-15 days during flowering and the rest of the time sporadically.

• Reproduction

They produce innumerable seeds, but difficult to germinate unless they are in symbiosis with a fungus. Therefore, the easiest method is through Keikis (a sucker that the mother plant emits on the floral rod, after flowering). To stimulate the appearance of Keikis after flowering, the stick is cut above a knot about half its length. Then the skin that covers the buds of the internodes is carefully removed, taking great care not to damage them. With this we will get more light to reach them.
You can also dilute a pinch of plant growth hormone (benziladenine) in water and give a fine touch to the cut with a brush to stimulate its appearance. Once the keikis has given off small roots it can be separated from the mother plant.

History

First collected in 1897 by Niewenhuis, a botanist on the mission to explore the border between the Dutch part of Borneo (Indonesia) and the British part of the north (Sabah in Malaysia). It was then confused with Phalaenopsis amabilis and brought to Buitenzorg (Bogor), and was described as a very slow growing plant. It flowered only once in 1909 and was described by J. J. Smith then director of the garden. Shortly after this the plant died.
This species was described intermittently and in a doubtful manner until 1937, when it was rediscovered in the work of opening a road in the tropical forest. A certain specimen was then measured with blades 9 dm long and 4 dm wide.

Taxonomy

Phalaenopsis gigantea was described by Johannes Jacobus Smith and published in Bulletin du Département de l'Agriculture aux Indes Néerlandaises 22: 45. 1909.

Etymology

Phalaenopsis: generic name that comes from the Greek phalaina = “butterfly” and opsis = “similar”, due to the inflorescences of some species, reminiscent of butterflies in flight. For this reason, the species are called “butterfly orchids”.

gigantea: Latin epithet meaning "giant, enormous".

Sinonimia

• Giant Polychilos (J.J. Sm.) Shim (1982)
• Giant Phalaenopsis var. discolour Braem ex Holle-De Raeve (1991)
• Giant Phalaenopsis var. aurea Christenson (2001)
• Giant Phalaenopsis f. discolour (Braem ex Holle-De Raeve) Christenson (2001)