Phalaenopsis Lowe

• Phalaenopsis proboscidioides Parish ex Rchb.f. 1868
• Polychilos lowii Shim 1982

Discovered by Rev. Father Parish (CSParish) during his travels in Myanmar . In culture since 1861. Named after the plant collector Hugo Lowe.

Almost immediately after the discovery, it was well distributed in culture, but by the end of the nineteenth century it began to disappear from collections. Since 1904, traces of this species have been completely lost. It was newly discovered recently in the West of Thailand , at an altitude of 700 to 800 meters above sea level, as an epiphyte on trunks and as a lithophyte on calcareous cliffs. From December to January, during the dry season, plants on the rocks completely lose their foliage. Plants that grow on trees are better protected from the sun and retain part of the leaves ^[3] .

Not a large monopodial plant with a strongly shortened stem. The roots are fleshy, branching, smooth.
Leaves from 1 to 5. Leaves 5-15 cm long and 3 cm wide.

Flowers 3.5 - 5 cm in diameter, on one peduncle of them can be up to 100 pieces. The column is elongated in the form of a beak.

Peduncle up to 40 cm.

In natural conditions it can be deciduous .

Myanmar , Thailand

Epiphytes , less often lithophytes on steep rocks.

Average temperatures
in Myanmar, the Moulmein region (day / night).

• January - 32 \ 19 °
• February - 33 \ 20 °
• March - 35 \ 23 °
• April - 35 \ 25 °
• May - 34 \ 25 °
• June - 32 \ 25 °
• July - 30 \ 25 °
• August - 30 \ 25 °
• September - 31 \ 25 °
• October - 33 \ 25 °
• November - 34 \ 24 °
• December - 32 \ 23 °

Precipitation (mm)
• January - 10
• February - 5
• March - 10
• April - 60
• May - 550
• June - 950
• July - 1200
• August - 1150
• September - 700
• October - 200
• November - 20
• December - 5

The temperature group is warm.

Light requirements: 1000-1500 FC , 10760-16140 lx ^[4] .

Needs constant high relative humidity and a significant difference in day and night temperatures (10-13 ° C). With an excess of light, the leaves turn red. The difference is desirable to achieve due to the very high daily temperature. The substrate should always be slightly moist. Too much water causes bacterial and fungal diseases.

Flowering season: July - October. A winter two-month dormant period is desirable when plants are watered much less frequently. Flowers last less than a month, weakly fragrant.

General information about agricultural technology in the article Phalaenopsis .

• Christenson, EA 2001. Phalaenopsis: a monograph. (Monog Phalaenopsis) 40-44.
• Fitch CM, 1996, Phalaenopsis lowii in Thailand. Orchids 65. (8): 806–809
• Seidenfaden G, 1996, The reappearance of Phalaenopsis lowii (Orchidaceae) in Thailand. Nordic J. Bot. 16. (3): 283-286
• Gruss O, Rollke L, 1992, Seit 100 Jahren verschollen: Phalaenopsis lowii Rchb. f. Orchidee 43. (4): 153-156
• Valstedgard H, 1982, Lovfaeldende Phalaenopsis. Orchideer, 3. (10): 176

• Phalaenopsis Lowe , Photographs of Natural Varieties and Hybrids
• Phalaenopsis Low on Especes de Phalaenopsis (English)
• Phalaenopsis Low on Internet Orchid Species Photo Encyclopedia