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PLANS FOR PRESERVATION Both Chinainthorn and I have decided to bloom out all of our seedlings of the chattaladae form to see if any variation occurs. So far, none has. He already has made a sibling cross of two of the progeny of the second generation in order to increase the population at his disposal. Those seedlings are currently in the flask stage.
Phalaenopsis cornu-cervi is a highly variable and widely distributed species; it is found in certain locales in Thailand, Myanmar (Burma), Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, India, Indonesia and Borneo. Moreover, more than 220 hybrids have been registered that have some Phal. cornu-cervi ancestry. The species produces flowers with such a range of attractive colors and patterns that it is surprising that it is not more widely grown by connoisseur hobbyists. The base color of Phal. cornu-cervi clones almost always is chartreuse, and on the face of the flowers there is an overlay of rust-colored or red bars or spots, the density, size and placement of which can vary greatly. In fact, on a few rather rare clones, the amount of coalescence of bars and spots can be so great as to give the flowers an appearance of being almost solid red, but on close examination the flowers have a narrow chartreuse picotee around the edges of the petals and sepals, and the ground color likewise becomes quite obvious both on the rear of the flowers and in the narrow spaces between some of the bars, especially those on the lateral sepals. There also is an alba form of Phal. cornu-cervi whose flowers are a uniform light yellow or chartreuse, and it completely lacks markings of any sort. The lustrous dark burgundy color of the chattaladae form should make it a desirable addition to the other phenotypic forms in cultivation. Presumably, this was in Christenson’s mind when he concluded his treatment of what is now the chattaladae form with the comment, “Although this form is quite similar to the sanguinea form, the extreme desirability of the thalebanii form in horticulture and the lack of any yellow ground color whatsoever warrants formal designation here.” (Op. cit: 85.)
It is my hope that the cultivated population of this exceedingly rare and fascinating form of Phal. cornu-cervi will be increased sufficiently to permit wider distribution and even may provide a worthy new line of breeding for red flowering Phalaenopsis hybrids. Even absent the latter, the chattaladae form may generate renewed interest in the other delightful phenotypic forms of the Phal. cornu-cervi species. The plants are small and compact and are excellent candidates for growing under lights. A mature, well-grown plant can bloom nearly throughout the year. The chattaladae form of Phal. cornu-cervi is so attractive that it fully deserves to be kept in existence and to be more widely appreciated. Who knows whether any other clone of this form will ever become available from the wild? After all, a quarter of a century elapsed between the discovery of the first clone and the second. Moreover, it may well be that the chattaladae form no longer exists in its natural habitat, given the loss of so much of Thailand’s forested habitat. While conservation of any orchid species in nature is preferable to conservation solely in cultivation, the latter is much to be preferred to what is often the only other prospect -- extinction.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I thank Carl Withner, PhD, for reading the manuscript and providing invaluable technical help; Kerry Barringer, PhD, curator of the Herbarium of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, for assistance in depositing the holotype in the herbarium as well as for critiquing the manuscript; and Mark Garland for writing the Latin description. Without their help, this article could not have been completed.
DAVID L. GROVE PhD, is author of “Vandas and Ascocendas and Their Combinations with other Genera” (out of print). David has served the AOS in various capacities, including vice president. Currently he is a vice president of the Orchid Digest Corporation. 5 The Knoll, Armonk, NY 10504.
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Phalaenopsis cornu-cervi forma chattaladae in a plastic container.
Growing Phalaenopsis cornu-cervi f. chattaladae
I use a semihydroponic method of cultivation that has proven to be successful under my conditions. I outline it because it may be equally useful for some other growers and it is simple to follow. I start with quart-size (1 L) translucent plastic containers of the sort that many delicatessens use for take-out soup, chicken salad, etc. About one inch (2.5 cm) up from the base of each container, using a heated ice pick, I burn a row of four holes, about 1/8 in (3 mm), in diameter and about 1/2 inch (1.2 cm), apart. Then I place a plant in the container and fill it with expanded clay pellets. I water every clear day and make sure to fill each pot to the brim. The four small holes near the bottom are sufficient to permit the water to drain and to draw fresh air down through the pellets, but slowly enough so that the pellets and roots become thoroughly immersed in water for a brief interval; moreover, the reservoir of water in the bottom of the container supplies some moisture to the roots of the plant in the upper portion of the pot during the intervals between waterings, but the roots are never waterlogged. The pots sit on a bench that has a southeastern exposure and receives at least as much light as any other bench in that greenhouse. The roots grow well down into the pellets. Moreover, the method has been equally successful with tiny seedlings and with mature plants. The plants have no problem of acclimatization when I repot them, which rarely is called for and is remarkably easy when it is.
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