This is a very nice warm growing Phalaenopsis species named after the island Flores in Indonesia where it was first discovered. It grows fairly close to sea level at about 150 to 500 meters on trees located in humid or wet areas. The flowers are small and cream colored with some very faint lines across the base of the lateral sepls. But what I really like about the flowers it the pink hairly lip! I don’t know why but I just love hairy flowers… lol.
I grow this in on the floor in the warm vivarium planted in EpiWeb substrate. In nature it grows shaded by trees so if does not require too much light, but it does like high humidity. Like many other pure species of Phalaenopsis it often blooms on the same inflorescence year after year, and mine is doing just that. It is blooming on the same two from last year with 4 flowers on each stem.
It has a faint fragrance too that is not entirely pleasant… It is almost hard to imagine that such a sweet looking flower doesn’t smell nice. But I can’t really smell much of it anyway since it is Neofinetia season in my vivarium right now. The very pleasant scent from those little gems will overpower almost anything.
An astonishing, hairy little fellow indeed!
Like the profile-shot; gives a wonderful perception of the anatomy.
Will the flower “open up” when the insect lands on the hairy heilpad in front?
Thanks! 🙂 Nope, this flower does not move during pollination, but there are other orchids that do.
Så jäkla läcker Phalle!
Absolut!! Kul att se dig här Kamila! 🙂