Orchid Varieties, Oncidium, Cymbidium, Phalaenopsis, Paphiopedilum

If you're new to orchids the first thing you'll probably have noticed is the rather long Latin names which can be a little off putting at first

. There are over 20,000 species of orchid not including the hundreds of thousands of hybrid varieties so the long names are really not that surprising I guess.

The names follow a logical naming convention which will help you make sense of it all. The first name you will see, which is usually capitalised, tells us the family of orchids it belongs to, this is known as the Genus or the plural Genera.

You might even find that you are already familiar with many of these names such as some of the more common orchid varieties including Oncidium, Phalaenopsis and Dendrobium. Each of these genera or families may contain many hundreds of species. The species of your orchid is given by the second name.

Hybrids have their own naming convention for obvious reasons, you need to know the parent plants. Both parent plants will be listed first with their names separated by an X.

You may also have heard varieties referred to by their western nicknames which are usually an abbreviation of the family name or an affectionate reference to the shape of their flowers.

Common varieties of orchids

Oncidium orchids are also known as spray orchids or some species as dancing girls. They are a fairly large family of orchids consisting of around 600 natural species.

Cymbidiums are quite often referred to by their nickname Boat orchids due to the hollow depression in the flower or the abbreviation Cyms. You'll find around 40 natural species of Cymbidium orchids all originating from tropical and sub-tropical areas in Asia. The also have a reputation for being able to survive relatively mild temperatures quite well.

Phalaenopsis the Moth orchid so called due to it's flowers unique resemblance. They are a popular family of orchids because of their long blooming times which can range from 2 to 6 months for some species and mature plants will often flower two or three times a year. They are also tolerant of lower lighting levels than most orchid varieties and require a little more watering due to their lack of pseudobulbs to store moisture.

Paphiopedilum also goes by the nickname the Venus Slipper orchid or the quite cute name Paphs. This genus has around 80 species and 13,000 hybrids They are fairly tolerant of conditions, especially the hybrids and are easy to flower provided with the right temperature range.

Dendrobium is another large family of orchids consisting of over 1200 species making it one of the largest orchid genera. They favour warmer indoor temperatures of over 60 degree Fahrenheit favouring only a slight temperature drop at night. Great if you happen to live in a warmer climate with little temperature variation or if you have a greenhouse.

Of these few varieties of orchids, species from the Phalaenopsis. Paphiopedilum, Dendrobium and Oncidium families are generally considered by most to be the best suited for beginners. This does not make them any less popular amongst more experienced growers, you'll probably find species from these genera in any enthusiasts collection. The first orchid I was successful at growing was an Oncidium and I still grow them today.

by: Matt Clarke

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