Dendrobium ovatum

This was first described by Van Rheede in his Hortus Malabaricus as Anantali Maravara. It is similar to Dendrobium barbatulum but smaller flowered. It is endemic to the Western Ghats in India and blooms in the November to January period.

Luisia macrantha

Luisia is an Indo-Malesian genus of about 40 epiphytic species of which 5 are found in Kerala. Luisia macrantha is found at elevations above 800 meters and has one of the biggest flowers in the genus.

Vanda wightii

Vanda wightii is an epiphytic orchid which is endemic to the Western Ghats in the states of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu in India and can be distinguished by its curved leaves. It is quite rare in the wild and in cultivation.

 The plant blooms during October to November and stays on the plant for at least three weeks. The flowers give off a spicy fragrance as soon as the sun goes down. They are about 4 cm across and 4.5 cm in length and are distinguished by a clear white lip with a yellow throat. The white lip and the fragrance at dusk may indicate that it is pollinated by a nocturnal insect.

Vanda wightii can be grown in tessellata like conditions with roots exposed to air movement and dappled sunlight at 50%.

Cymbidium dayanum var. album

This is one plant that everyone must have. Anyone will like it for one reason or the other; clean white/ivory flowers, slender shiny foliage or compactness. I got the plant less than a year ago in January of 2010 in a 4 inch pot and it is already in bloom with two racemes. The flowers are short-lived, lasting only about a week ( it lasted about 10 days on mine).

I have it growing under 50% shade nets with about 7 hours of sunlight. It is presently in the tree fern medium i got it in but it should do well in any free draining porous medium: coal, bricks, coco chips about 1 inch in size. It usually blooms in the September-October period during the last month of the monsoons.