Bulbophyllum frostii

Bulbophyllum frostii, commonly known as Frost's Bulbophyllum or Dutchman's shoes is a species of orchid, In the wild it grows as an epiphyte, inhabiting evergreen lowland rainforests in Vietnam and more rarely in China and Thailand, including the Malay peninsula. This plant is usually found at elevations between 1450 and 1500 meters above sea level.

Bulbophyllum frostii
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Epidendroideae
Tribe: Dendrobieae
Genus: Bulbophyllum
Species:
B. frostii
Binomial name
Bulbophyllum frostii
Summerh. (1928)
Synonyms
  • Cirrhopetalum bootanoides Guillaumin (1957)
  • Bulbophyllum bootanoides (Guillaumin) Seidenf. (1973)
  • Cirrhopetalum frostii (Summerh.) Garay, Hamer & Siegerist (1994)

Description

Bulbophyllum frostii has green to purple pseudobulbs spaced roughly 1/2" [1.25 cm] apart on a creeping rhizome. Each pseudobulb features a single dark green, oblong-elliptic leaf.

This species has a flower size of roughly 1" [2.5 cm]. These flowers possess characteristics such as an unpleasant scent and flowers that mimic carrion, which is a common trait in many other members of the genus bulbophyllum. Both of these characteristics attract flies, which are the main pollinators of this plant. Blooms emerge in small clusters from the base of the pseudobulbs, and can be quite variable from plant to plant, ranging from flowers with fused sepals, to sepals that are completely detached from one another.

Cultivation

Depending on the climate, B. frostii and other epiphytic orchids can be grown in pots filled with fine bark or sphagnum moss, They are also often grown mounted, usually on a wood of some kind such as cork. It thrives in an environment with high humidity and good ventilation, and grows best with frequent but diluted fertilisations.

Taxonomy

Bulbophyllum frostii belongs to the large genus Bulbophyllum. Bulbophyllum frostii was first described by Victor Samuel Summerhayes in 1928.


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