Coelogyne

Read about Coelogyne in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Coelogyne (hollow pistil). Orchidaceae. Popular epiphytic warmhouse orchids of the eastern hemisphere. Pseudobulbs tufted or at intervals on the St.: fls. in racemes, opening simultaneously or in succession; sepals and petals similar, spreading or reflexed; lip 3-lobed, the lateral lobes erect, inclosing the slender column, the middle lobe flat or recurved, keeled; column slightly curved, winged above; pollinia 4.—Species about 115, distributed from N. India to Ceylon, middle China, and in the islands of the Indian Ocean. The botanical details of Coelogyne speciosa are shown in Fig. 1021. At the top is a general view of the fl. Below, on the left, is the column, front and side view. In the center is the lip, with the column lying along its top. Below the lip, on the left, is the stigma. To the right, on the bottom row, are the pollinia, front and back view; and at the right center are separate pollen masses. Coelogynes may be grown in pots, baskets or pans, using pots for small plants, and larger receptacles when the plants require them; but when a pan larger than 12-inch is necessary, it is best to use perforated ones so that the material may be well aerated and not become unsuitable for the roots. All the species are of rambling habit and large specimens may soon be had by growing on, provided the material at the roots is kept in a sweet healthy condition. When, however, it becomes necessary to divide a plant, this is best done directly after flowering, carefully separating the running shoots, cutting off about three of the last-made bulbs with all the roots attached, planting these in suitable-sized receptacles, being very careful to point the growing end away from the edge, or toward the center, so that they will not so readily outgrow again. The material to use is osmundine with a little sphagnum moss if it can be made to grow, packing all very firm about the roots so that too much water will not be held about the roots. Place in the shady part of a warm house until root-action begins; but, during the hot summer months, the varieties of C. cristata may with great benefit be placed in a frame in a shady place outdoors, there to remain until danger of frost in October. Treated in this way, the plants will bloom much better. They should all be placed on inverted pots when outside to exclude vermin. When brought indoors the bulbs will be finishing up for bloom, and as they are terrestrial plants, weak manure-water should be given at every watering. A glance at the roots and their structure will show how they differ from the epiphytal orchids such as the cattleyas. Coelogynes, being evergreen, should never be quite dry at the roots, or shriveling will result; this always is the case after flowering or repotting; but, when growth commences, they soon plump up again. It is often desired to grow these plants in baskets. Space can then be made for them overhead in the cool- houses in winter, bringing a few at a time into warmth, thus having succession of bloom for three months for cutting, house or conservatory decoration, where they last a long time. There are more than 100 kinds of coelogynes, many of which are but of botanical interest. C. pandurata, C. Dayana and C. Sanderiana are warm-house plants and should be kept at a minimum temperature of 60° in winter. C. nervosa, C. flaccida, C. nitida, and C. Massangeana are coolhouse plants, often grown in collections; but C. cristata and its forms are the most valued, especially the variety maxima once so scarce, but now plentiful; this makes large bulbs and longer spikes of bloom. The Chatsworth variety, by some considered the same as maxima, hololeuca or alba as it is most often known in gardens, is a pure white form, perhaps the whitest of all orchids. This is inclined to ramble, owing to the length of rhizome between each bulb or growth, and needs attention in repotting frequently; it is also the latest to flower. C. Lemoniana has a pretty lemon-yellow blotch on the lip instead of the usual orange and is very pretty by contrast with the other forms. When it is desired to increase the stock of plants, the back bulbs taken off at potting time may be planted similar to the other pieces and will grow on, but cannot be expected to bloom for two years. (E. O. Orpet.) The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

? Coelogyne
Coelogyne cristata
Plant Info
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Liliopsida Order: Asparagales Family: Orchidaceae Subfamily: Epidendroideae Tribe: Coelogyneae Subtribe: Coelogyninae Genus: Coelogyne Lindl. 1821
Species
See text.

Coelogyne Lindl. 1821, is a genus of over 200 sympodial epiphytes from the family Orchidaceae, distributed across India, China, Indonesia and the Fiji islands, with the main centers in Borneo, Sumatra and the Himalayas. They can be found from tropical lowland forests to montane rainforests. A few species grow as terrestrials or even as lithophytes in open, humid habitats. The genera Bolborchis Lindl., Hologyne Pfitzer and Ptychogyne Pfitzer are generally included here.

The wide distribution of this genus has resulted in a wide variety of temperature variation from species to species, some requiring cool to cold conditions to grow and bloom reliably, while others need decidedly warmer temperatures to achieve the same.

The scientific name is derived from the Greek words koilos (hollow) and gyne (woman), referring to the concave stigma.

This genus lacks the saccate base of the labellum, a typical characteristic which is present in the other genera in the subtribe Coelogyninae. The free lip has high lateral lobes along the basal part of the labellum (hypochile) and smooth, toothed or warty keels.

The pseudobulbs of one internode vary in size. They may be closely or widely spaced through sympodial growth along the rhizome.

Inflorescences often show a small to very large number of showy, medium-sized to large flowers. They may arise either from the apex of the newly completed pseudobulb at the end of the growing season (as in Coelogyne fimbriata), or may precede the new growth in early spring (as in Coelogyne cristata). The typical colour range of this genus is white, through tawny brown to green, and occasionally peachy tones. All species have four pollinia.

They have often a sweet scent, attracting different kinds of pollinators, such as bees, wasps and beetles.

A few species are commonly known as 'necklace orchids', because of their long, pendant, multi-flowered inflorescence.

The cooler growing species such as Coelogyne fimbriata, Coelogyne ovalis, Colegyne fuliginosa, Coelogyne cristata, Coelogyne flaccida, Coelogyne nitida originate in the Himalayan region of India and southeast Asia. They require a decided rest period during winter during which they receive no feed, very little water (enough to prevent pseudobulbs shrivelling), cool to cold temperatures and high light. These conditions seem to aid flowering in spring for some growers, though others report that more constant conditions can also produce regular flowering.

Coelogyne has never become very popular among orchid growers and has even been ignored. However there is now a growing number of man-made hybrids, such as :

• Coelogyne 'Mem. W. Micholitz' (C. mooreana × C. lawrenceana)
• Coelogyne 'Linda Buckley' (C. mooreana × C. cristata)
• Coelogyne 'Burfordiensis' (C. pandurata × C. asperata).
• Coelogyne 'South Carolina' (C. pandurata x C. Burfordiense), sometimes called "the black orchid" because of the black coloration of the heavily patterned and structured lip.

The traditional taxonomy of the genus Coelogyne is still disputed. Coelogyne has been subdivided in 23 sections or subgenera by De Vogel (1994) and Clayton. Molecular data however show that Coelogyne is [[paraph yletic]] and should be reorganised, according to the study by Barbara Gravendeel et al. given in the reference works here below :

• Coelogyne should include the genera Neogyna and Pholidota
• the following sections should be removed from Coelogyne : sections Coelogyne (in part), Cyathogyne, Tomentosae, Rigidiformes, Veitchiae and Verrucosae.

This new genus Coelogyne should then contain about 160 species.

Species

The database IPNI gives 415 entries for this genus, but a large number are invalid or have become synonyms. These are not mentioned in the following traditional list.

• Coelogyne acutilabium de Vogel
• Coelogyne albobrunnea J.J.Sm.
• Coelogyne albolutea Rolfe
• Coelogyne anceps Hook.f.
• Coelogyne asperata Lindl.
• Coelogyne assamica Linden & Rchb.f.
• Coelogyne barbata Lindl. ex Griff.
• Coelogyne beccarii Rchb.f.
• Coelogyne bicamerata J.J.Sm.
• Coelogyne bilamellata Lindl.
• Coelogyne borneensis Rolfe
• Coelogyne brachygyne J.J.Sm.
• Coelogyne brachyptera Rchb.f.
• Coelogyne breviscapa Lindl.
• Coelogyne bruneiensis de Vogel
• Coelogyne buennemeyeri J.J.Sm.
• Coelogyne calcarata J.J.Sm.
• Coelogyne calcicola Kerr
• Coelogyne caloglossa Schltr.
• Coelogyne candoonensis Ames
• Coelogyne carinata Rolfe.
• Coelogyne celebensis J.J.Sm.
• Coelogyne chanii Gravend. & de Vogel
• Coelogyne chlorophaea Schltr.
• Coelogyne chloroptera Rchb.f.
• Coelogyne clemensii Ames & C.Schweinf. in O.Ames.
  • Coelogyne clemensii var. angustifolia Carr
  • Coelogyne clemensii var. clemensii
  • Coelogyne clemensii var. longiscapa Ames & C.Schweinf. in O.Ames
• Coelogyne compressicaulis Ames & C.Schweinf. in O.Ames
• Coelogyne concinna Ridl.
• Coelogyne confusa Ames.
• Coelogyne contractipetala J.J.Sm.
• Coelogyne corymbosa Lindl.
• Coelogyne crassiloba J.J.Sm.
• Coelogyne craticulilabris Carr
• Coelogyne cristata Lindl.
• Coelogyne cumingii Lindl.
• Coelogyne cuprea H.Wendl. & Kraenzl.
  • Coelogyne cuprea var. cuprea
  • Coelogyne cuprea var. planiscapa J.J.Wood & C.L.Chan
• Coelogyne dichroantha Gagnep
• Coelogyne distans J.J.Sm.
• Coelogyne dulitensis Carr.
• Coelogyne eberhardtii Gagnep
• Coelogyne ecarinata C.Schweinf.
• Coelogyne echinolabium de Vogel
• Coelogyne elmeri Ames.
• Coelogyne endertii J.J.Sm.
• Coelogyne exalata Ridl.
• Coelogyne filipeda Gagnep.
• Coelogyne fimbriata Lindl.
• Coelogyne flaccida Lindl.
• Coelogyne flexuosa Rolfe.
• Coelogyne foerstermannii Rchb.f..
• Coelogyne formosa Schltr.
• Coelogyne fragrans Schltr.
• Coelogyne fuerstenbergiana Schltr.
• Coelogyne fuscescens Lindl.
  • Coelogyne fuscescens var. brunnea (Lindl.) Lindl..
  • Coelogyne fuscescens var. fuscescens
  • Coelogyne fuscescens var. integrilabia Pfitzer in H.G.A.Engler (ed.).
• Coelogyne genuflexa Ames & C.Schweinf. in O.Ames.
• Coelogyne ghatakii T.K.Paul, S.K.Basu & M.C.Biswas
• Coelogyne gibbifera J.J.Sm.
• Coelogyne glandulosa Lindl.
  • Coelogyne glandulosa var. bournei S.Das & S.K.Jain
  • Coelogyne glandulosa var. glandulosa
  • Coelogyne glandulosa var. sathyanarayanae S.Das & S.K.Jain
• Coelogyne gongshanensis H.Li ex S.C.Chen.
• Coelogyne griffithii Hook.f.
• Coelogyne guamensis Ames
• Coelogyne hajrae Phukan.
• Coelogyne harana J.J.Sm.
• Coelogyne hirtella J.J.Sm.
• Coelogyne hitendrae S.Das & S.K.Jain.
• Coelogyne holochila P.F.Hunt & Summerh.
• Coelogyne huettneriana Rchb.f.
• Coelogyne imbricans J.J.Sm.
• Coelogyne incrassata (Blume) Lindl.
  • Coelogyne incrassata var. incrassata
  • Coelogyne incrassata var. sumatrana J.J.Sm.
  • Coelogyne incrassata var. valida J.J.Sm.
• Coelogyne integerrima Ames
• Coelogyne integra Schltr.
• Coelogyne judithiae P.Taylor
• Coelogyne kaliana P.J.Cribb.
• Coelogyne kelamensis J.J.Sm.
• Coelogyne kemiriensis J.J.Sm..
• Coelogyne kinabaluensis Ames & C.Schweinf. in O.Ames.
• Coelogyne lacinulosa J.J.Sm.
• Coelogyne latiloba de Vogel
• Coelogyne lawrenceana Rolfe
• Coelogyne lentiginosa Lindl.
• Coelogyne leucantha W.W.Sm.
• Coelogyne lockii Aver.
• Coelogyne loheri Rolfe
• Coelogyne longiana Aver.
• Coelogyne longibulbosa Ames & C.Schweinf. in O.Ames.
• Coelogyne longifolia (Blume) Lindl.
• Coelogyne longipes Lindl.
• Coelogyne longirachis Ames
• Coelogyne longpasiaensis J.J.Wood & C.L.Chan
• Coelogyne lycastoides F.Muell. & Kraenzl.
• Coelogyne macdonaldii F.Muell. & Kraenzl.
• Coelogyne malintangensis J.J.Sm..
• Coelogyne malipoensis Z.H.Tsi
• Coelogyne marmorata Rchb.f.
• Coelogyne marthae S.E.C.Sierra
• Coelogyne mayeriana Rchb.f.
• Coelogyne merrillii Ames
• Coelogyne micrantha Lindl.
• Coelogyne miniata (Blume) Lindl.
• Coelogyne monilirachis Carr
• Coelogyne monticola J.J.Sm.
• Coelogyne mooreana Rolfe
• Coelogyne mossiae Rolfe
• Coelogyne motleyi Rolfe ex J.J.Wood, D.A.Clayton & C.L.Chan
• Coelogyne moultonii J.J.Sm.
• Coelogyne multiflora Schltr.
• Coelogyne muluensis J.J.Wood
• Coelogyne naja J.J.Sm.
• Coelogyne nervosa A.Rich.
• Coelogyne nitida (Wall. ex D.Don) Lindl.
• Coelogyne obtusifolia Carr
• Coelogyne occultata Hook.f.
  • Coelogyne occultata var. occultata
  • Coelogyne occultata var. uniflora N.P.Balakr.
• Coelogyne odoardi Schltr.
• Coelogyne odoratissima Lindl.
• Coelogyne ovalis Lindl.
• Coelogyne palawanensis Ames
• Coelogyne pandurata Lindl. : Black Orchid
• Coelogyne papillosa Ridl. ex Stapf.
• Coelogyne parishii Hook.f.
• Coelogyne peltastes Rchb.f.
• Coelogyne pempahisheyana H.J.Chowdhery
• Coelogyne pendula Summerh. ex Perry
• Coelogyne pholidotoides J.J.Sm.
• Coelogyne picta Schltr.
• Coelogyne planiscapa Carr.
  • Coelogyne planiscapa var. grandis Carr.
  • Coelogyne planiscapa var. planiscapa
• Coelogyne plicatissima Ames & C.Schweinf. in O.Ames
• Coelogyne prasina Ridl.
• Coelogyne prolifera Lindl.
• Coelogyne pulchella Rolfe.
• Coelogyne pulverula Teijsm. & Binn.
• Coelogyne punctulata Lindl.
  • Coelogyne punctulata f. brevifolia (Lindl.) S.Das & S.K.Jain
  • Coelogyne punctulata f. punctulata
• Coelogyne quadratiloba Gagnep.
• Coelogyne quinquelamellata Ames
• Coelogyne radicosa Ridl.
• Coelogyne radioferens Ames & C.Schweinf. in O.Ames
• Coelogyne raizadae S.K.Jain & S.Das.
• Coelogyne remediosae Ames & Quisumb.
• Coelogyne renae Gravend. & de Vogel.
• Coelogyne rhabdobulbon Schltr.
• Coelogyne rigida C.S.P.Parish & Rchb.f.
• Coelogyne rigidiformis Ames & C.Schweinf.
• Coelogyne rochussenii de Vriese : Necklace Orchid
• Coelogyne rumphii Lindl.
• Coelogyne rupicola Carr.
• Coelogyne salmonicolor Rchb.f.
• Coelogyne sanderae Kraenzl. ex O'Brien
• Coelogyne sanderiana Rchb.f.
• Coelogyne schilleriana Rchb.f. & K.Koch.
• Coelogyne schultesii S.K.Jain & S.Das.
• Coelogyne septemcostata J.J.Sm.
• Coelogyne sparsa Rchb.f.
• Coelogyne speciosa (Blume) Lindl.
  • Coelogyne speciosa subsp. fimbriata (J.J.Sm.) Gravend.
  • Coelogyne speciosa subsp. incarnata Gravend.
  • Coelogyne speciosa subsp. speciosa
• Coelogyne squamulosa J.J.Sm.
• Coelogyne steenisii J.J.Sm.
• Coelogyne stenobulbum Schltr.
• Coelogyne stenochila Hook.f.
• Coelogyne stricta (D.Don) Schltr.
• Coelogyne suaveolens (Lindl.) Hook.f.
• Coelogyne susanae P.J.Cribb & B.A.Lewis
• Coelogyne swaniana Rolfe
• Coelogyne tenasserimensis Seidenf.
• Coelogyne tenompokensis Carr.
• Coelogyne tenuis Rolfe
• Coelogyne testacea Lindl.
• Coelogyne tiomanensis M.R.Hend.
• Coelogyne tomentosa Lindl. : Necklace Orchid
• Coelogyne tommii Gravend. & P.O'Byrne
• Coelogyne trilobulata J.J.Sm.
• Coelogyne trinervis Lindl.
• Coelogyne triplicatula Rchb.f.
• Coelogyne triuncialis P.O'Byrne & J.J.Verm.
• Coelogyne tumida J.J.Sm.
• Coelogyne undatialata J.J.Sm.
• Coelogyne usitana Roeth & O.Gruss.
• Coelogyne ustulata C.S.P.Parish & Rchb.f.
• Coelogyne vanoverberghii Ames
• Coelogyne veitchii Rolfe
• Coelogyne velutina de Vogel
• Coelogyne venusta Rolfe
• Coelogyne vermicularis J.J.Sm.
• Coelogyne verrucosa S.E.C.Sierra
• Coelogyne virescens Rolfe
• Coelogyne viscosa Rchb.f.
• Coelogyne weixiensis X.H.Jin (2005)
• Coelogyne xyrekes Ridl.
• Coelogyne yiii Schuit. & de Vogel
• Coelogyne zhenkangensis S.C.Chen & K.Y.Lang
• Coelogyne zurowetzii Carr

Reference work

• A phylogenetic classification of the genus Coelogyne, based on morphology and molecules
• Teuscher, H. 1976. Coelogyne and Pleione. American Orchid Society Bulletin 45(8):688