Phalaenopsis

Phalaenopsis speciosa
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Phalaenopsis, known as the Moth Orchid, abbreviated Phal in the horticultural trade, is an orchid genus of approximately 60 species. Phalaenopsis is one of the most popular orchids in the trade, through the development of many artificial hybrids. It is native to southern China, the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia (Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, etc.), New Guinea, the Bismark Archipelago, and Queensland.

Orchid Phalaenopsis

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Orchid Phalaenopsis

Image source: en.wikipedia.org

Orchid Phalaenopsis

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Orchid Phalaenopsis cultivars

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Phalaenopsis kaleidoscope

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Phalaenopsis aphrodite

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Phalaenopsis amabilis

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Orchid Phalaenopsis

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Phalaenopsis amboinensis

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Phalaenopsis hybrid

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Phalaenopsis hybrid 'Sogo Yukidian'

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Phalaenopsis hybrid

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Doritaenopsis

The generic name means "Phalaen[a]-like" and is probably a reference to the genus Phalaena, the name given by Carl Linnaeus to a group of large moths; the flowers of some species supposedly resemble moths in flight. For this reason, the species are sometimes called Moth orchids. (Wikipedia)

Doritaenopsis, abbreviated Dtps. in the horticultural trade, is an intergeneric hybrid between the orchid genera Doritis and Phalaenopsis (Dor × Phal). Any Phalaenopsis which has even a single occurrence of Doritis in its background is still registered as Doritaenopsis.
A Doritaenopsis and a Phalaenopsis will appear to the casual observer as the same orchid. And they are cultured the same, except that the spikes should not be automatically cut as they will often use the same main spike for a second blooming. The Doritis brings more flowers, flowers that last well into summer, sharper colors, and often multiple spikes. The tradeoff is slightly smaller flowers. (Wikipedia)

Orchid Doritaenopsis

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Doritaenopsis 'Sogo Cherry'

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Doritaenopsis 'Sogo Cherry'

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Doritaenopsis 'Minho Princess'

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Vanda

Vanda is a genus in the orchid family (Orchidaceae), which although not massive (about 80 species), is one of the genera more commonly found in the marketplace. This genus and its allies are considered to be among the most specifically adapted of all orchids within the Orchidaceae. The genus is highly prized in horticulture for its showy, fragrant, long-lasting, and intensely colorful flowers. Vanda species are widespread across East Asia, Southeast Asia, and New Guinea, with a few species extending into Queensland and some of the islands of the western Pacific. The genus is sometimes abbreviated as V. in the floral trade. (Wikipedia)

The derivation of the name Vanda comes from the Sanskrit word referring to the plant we now know as V. tessellata. These popular plants are found in tropical areas, requiring lots of bright light, plenty of water, warm temperatures (an exception being V. coerulea which is native to higher elevations) and high humidity. The flowers are showy and colorful and when hybridized with Ascocentrum to produce Ascocenda, available in just about every color imaginable.
Vanda species are generally tall monopodial plants that usually bloom but once a year. Combined with Ascocentrum, plants that bloom several times a year are produced. The leaves are strap-shaped as opposed to the pencil shape of Papilionanthe species. The leaves of Vanda usually have erose (uneven and irregular) cut tips. The flowers which range in size from 1 to about 4 inches are very popular. Many of the species are very fragrant and the flowers long lasting. Much hybridizing is being done with many of the species that were relatively unknown a short time ago. Thus in collections, it is easy to find commonly grown species such as V. coerulea and V. denisoniana growing beside some of the lesser known species such as V. dearei, V. lamellata or V. merrillii.
(American Orchid Society)

Vanda tessellata

Vanda coerulea (Blue Vanda)

Vanda coerulea (Blue Vanda) in the United States Botanic Garden, Washington, DC, USA.

Vanda tricolor

Vanda tricolor from Southeast Asia Grown by Judy Carney.

Vanda denisoniana

Composite of 4 Vandeae

The Vandeae is a large monophyletic tribe within the family of orchids.
This tribe contains 1,700 - 2,000 species in more than 150 genera. The classification of taxa within this tribe is still largely based on floral morphology. Only a few attempts have been made to obtain a classification based on molecular evidence, usually based on sequence data from several plastid-encoded DNA regions.
These orchids are pantropical epiphytes and occur in tropical Asia, the Pacific Islands, Australia and Africa. Many of these orchids are horticulturally important, especially Vanda and Phalaenopsis.

Composite of 4 Vandeae
Angraecum Infundibulare, Vanda Pachara Delight, Vanda Tricolor Insignis, Vanda Lissochiloides.

Vanda lamellata

Left: Vanda lamellata Right: Vanda lamellata flowers

Vanda lamellata - Varietas

Left: Vanda lamellata var. boxallii Species from the Philippines Grown by Kreg Martin.
Middle: Vanda lamellata var. boxallii Right: Vanda lamellata var. Bozallii

Vanda flabellata (Aerides flabellata)

Vanda flabellata is a species of epiphytic orchid native to Yunnan, Myanmar, Laos and Thailand. (Wikipedia)

Synomyms: Vanda flabellata (Rolfe ex Downie) Christenson 1985. Found in Thailand, Myanamar and Yunnan China at forests edges or sparse woods as a small to just medium sized, hot to cool growing epiphytic species at elevations of 300 to 1700 meters that requires partial sun and has a shorter stem carrying many, lorate, curved, keeled, bilobed apically leaves and blooms with a 4 to 10" [10 to 25 cm] long, pendant, lax inflorescence with 3 to 15, fragrant flowers occuring in the spring. www.orchidspecies.com
Note: ‘Flabellata’ means ‘fan-shaped’ and Vanda flabellata means ‘Fan-shaped Vanda orchid’.

Left image: Vanda flabellata Right image: Aerides flabellata

Left image: Aerides flabellata Right image: Aerides flabellata

Aerides flabellata 扇唇指甲兰
Left image Middle image Right image

Aerides flabellata 扇唇指甲兰
Link: Left: flickr.com Middle: www.orchid.url.tw Right: flickr.com

Watch Aerides flabellata video at www.youtube.com or www.tudou.com

Vanda Miss Joaquim

Vanda 'Miss Joaquim' also known as the Singapore Orchid and the Princess Aloha Orchid and incorrectly as Vanda 'Miss Agnes Joaquim',is a hybrid orchid cultivar that is Singapore's national flower. For its resilence and year round blooming quality, it was chosen on 15 April 1981 to represent Singapore's uniqueness and hybrid culture. Botanically, this plant has been transferred to the genus Papilionanthe. (Wikipedia)

On 15 April 1981, Vanda Miss Joaquim was selected as Singapore's National Flower. It was selected from among 40 flowers, out of which 30 were orchids. Among the several varieties of Vanda Miss Joaquim, the variety "Agnes" was chosen in particular for its vibrant colours, hardiness and resilience – qualities that reflect the Singapore spirit.
Vanda Miss Joaquim originated from the garden of Agnes Joaquim, an Armenian lady residing in Singapore. It is the hybrid of two orchids, which were then known as Vanda teres and Vanda hookeriana.

The Vanda Miss Joaquim, a natural orchid hybrid between Vanda teres and Vanda hookeriana, was first discovered in the garden of Agnes Joaquim in Singapore in 1893. On 15 April 1981 it was declared to be Singapore's national flower.
Left image: The Vanda Miss Joaquim Right image: Vanda Miss Joaquim

Left image: Vanda Miss Joaquim orchid Right image: Vanda Miss Joaquim

Left image: Vanda Miss Joaquim Right image: Vanda Miss Joaquim

Left image: Vanda Miss Joaquim Right image: Vanda Miss Joaquim ?

Watch video of Miss Joaquim Orchid in the Singapore Botanical Gardens at www.youtube.com

Myrmecophila

Myrmecophila is a genus of plants belonging to the family Orchidaceae. It is native to southern Mexico, Central America, the West Indies and Venezuela.
Species in this genus are either ephiphytic or lithophytic in their growth habit. Their slightly scented flowers are produced on pole-like growths that extend upwards from 1 to 4 meters high and take up to 4 months to develop. Several of the Schomburgkia species were transferred into the genus Myrmecophila by Robert Allen Rolfe in 1917. (Species formerly placed in the genus Schomburgkia have been moved either to the genus Laelia or Myrmecophila.)
The name Myrmecophila is a derivative of the word myrmecophile and refers to the symbiotic relationship with colonies of ants that are usually found living in the large, hollowed-out, banana-like pseudobulbs. An opening in the base of each pseudobulb serves as an entrance for the ants which harvest nectar from the peduncles and flowers and forage on other plants in the community. The ants associated with Myrmecophila tibicinis pack many of the pseudobulbs with debris that includes other dead ants, a variety of insects, pieces of plant material, seeds and sand. Myrmecophila tibicinis directly utilizes minerals of the organic debris ("garbage dumps") deposited by the ants inside the hollow pseudobulbs. Since the open-canopied trees of the tropics can often be nutrient poor habitats, a small input of nutrients from insects can have a significant effect on plant survival and growth rates. Myrmecophila tibicinis can grow quite well in the absence of ants, though it is quite rare to find an uninhabited plant. The species of ant responsible for forming colonies in Myrmecophila tibicinis are as follows: Brachymyrmex, Camponotus planatus, Camponotus abdominalis, Camponotus rectangularis, and Crematogaster brevispinosa, Monomorium ebenium, Paratrechina longicornis, Zacryptocerus maculatus, and Ectatomma tuberculatum. (Wikipedia)

Myrmecophila tibicinis

Myrmecophila tibicinis is an species in the genus Myrmecophila .
A giant-sized, warm to hot growing epiphyte and sometimes lithophyte with several leaves, it has huge, 45 cm., sulcate, conic to cylindric psuedobulbs that are hollow and have an entrance at the base so that in the wild there are always ants living in the pseudobulbs. There are 2 to 5 apical, elliptic-ovate leaves. These plants bloom in March or April and can be grown with year round watering although it is better to give less through the winter. These plants must be mounted on a large wood mount as they do not like to be disturbed, and it does not take long for it to cover a branch. They have up to 450 cm long, erect, paniculate spikes with the successively opening, fragrant flowers in a cluster at the apex so thought must be put into space so the spikes don't get broken. It can be confused with M brysiana but differs in having a larger magenta flower with a larger column while M brysiana has a much smaller yellow flower with a shorter column.The dried pseudobulbs of this species can be fashioned to make a trumpet to call the children home from their playtime hence the common name.
This Orchid is found from Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, Costa Rica, Venezuela and Colombia in seasonally dry deciduous forests on trunks and larger branches often in full sun at elevations of 300 to 600 meters.
(orchids.wikia.com)

Left: Myrmecophila tibicinis
Right: Myrmecophila tibicinis (Schomburgkia tibicinis), Place:Sakuya Konohana Kan,Osaka,Japan

Myrmecophila grandiflora (Schomburgkia tibicinis var. grandiflora)

Left: Myrmecophila grandiflora (syn. Schomburgkia tibicinis var. grandiflora) Illustration Illustration
Right: Myrmecophila tibicinis Close-up image

Left: Myrmecophyla (Schomburkgkia) grandiflora
Right: Illustration of Myrmecophila grandiflora (as syn. Schomburgkia tibicinis var. grandiflora)

Myrmecophila Brysiana

Myrmecophila Brysiana is an species in the genus Myrmecophila .
Description, its flowers are among the most beautiful of the genus but some variability in their colours may indicate there is more than a single species here. (Carnevali 2011.) It is a large epiphyte with fusiform-conical, hollow, sulcate pseudobulbs to 50 cm with 2, coriaceous, ovate-elliptic, apically retuse-rounded leaves. Flowers occur in winter and spring on terminal 900 mm (3') to possibly 1.5 metre (4.92') long, erect, paniculate, inflorescences that are partly covered by sterile sheathing bracts and fertile, triangular, acute floral bracts with many yellow flowers. These are smaller than those of M. tibicinis and have shorter columns. They are also different in having a distinct claw at the base of the lip's mid lobe with only 3 raised or elevated veins on the disc; tibicinis has 5 to 7.
Habitats, epiphytic in low dense mangroves along rivers and seashores to 200 m. (656 ft.) The climate can at times be very hot, but humidity is always high.
Range, a very common and most widely distributed Myrmecophila found from Mexico, (Campeche and Quintana Roo States on the Gulf Coast, to Central America (Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, to Costa Rica (Santa Rosa National Park, Guanacaste).
(myrmecodia.invisionzone.com)

Myrmecophila Brysiana orchid grown in Miami Springs, Fl. Myrmecophila Brysiana

Myrmecophila Brysiana Schomburgkia brysiana (Myrmecophila Brysiana) Myrmecophila Brysiana

Myrmecophila thomsoniana (Schomburgkia thomsoniana)

Myrmecophila thomsoniana is an species in the genus Myrmecophila found in the Cayman Islands. This orchid is a small sized, hot growing epiphyte in scrubby bushes close to the sea and exposed to full sun with curved, hollow, pseudobulbs carrying a few apical, elliptic-ovate leaves that blooms in the spring and summer on an erect, to 120 cm long, sometimes branched inflorescence from which arise several to many 12 to 20 successively opening, fragrant flowers occuring over a long period. (orchids.wikia.com)

Probably the best known of Cayman's 26 species of orchids is the wild banana orchid, of which there are two varieties: Schomburgkia thomsoniana var. thomsoniana, which originated on Grand Cayman, and Schomburgkia thomsoniana var. minor, which came from Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. (www.gov.ky)

Myrmecophila thomsoniana Myrmecophila thomsoniana (Wild Banana Orchid) Myrmecophila thomsoniana, the National flower of the Cayman Islands

Myrmecophila galeottiana

*Source:* orchids.wikia.com