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Introduction
to Bulbophyllum
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The
generic name, Bulbophyllum derived from 2 Greek words,
bolbos, meaning the bulb and phyllon
meaning a leaf. The name refers to the growth form of
the many amazing species under this genus, species with
colorful and bazaar flowers. |
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Bulbophyllum
is probably the largest genus in the orchid family with
over 2000 species. Most of them are found in Asia and
the pacific region. Over the years, bulbophyllum has
gained popularity among growers, due to its diversity
in appearance and its high variability flower form and
color.
As most orchid
growers would know, bulbophyllum is well known for their
foul smelling flowers. Most flowers would have a rotten
fish smell, but luckily most of the bulbophyllum flowers
are short lived. The flower size also varies, with the
smallest being about 0.5cm and the largest being about
45cm. Some bulbophyllum like bulb. pustulatum, even
have specific time of blooming. It only blooms in the
morning and closes after that. This can actually go
on for days. |
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Most
bulbophyllum are found in the tropical rainforest.
Naturally, they would require a high humidity
and shaded environment. Most of them exist as
epiphytes in the wild, with some exceptions. Some
of the species like bulb. singaporeanum can be
found growing as a lithophyte or terrestrial on
boulders.
Generally,
cultivation of bulbophyllum is pretty easy, but one
would need to ensure they are grown in a high humidity
environment with good air circulation. Only then, they
would grow well. The traditional method of growing Bulbophyllums
is to tie them on fern bark slaps and occasionally added
with some sphagnum moss near the roots region to supply
moisture for longer period. The more creative method
would be to grow them potted in perlite.
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