Luisia abrahamii

Inflorescence: Short raceme with 2 to 3 flowers.
Flower size: About 3/4 of an inch across and about an inch in length.
Plant habit:  Terete-leaved epiphyte with a drooping habit and roots that have a granular surface texture.
Altitude: A little inland at sea level to 400 metres asl.
Flowering time: Late September, October and early November.
Fragrance: None.
Distribution: Local endemic found only in Kerala.
Heat tolerance: Blooms well in the plains.

Dendrobium aqueum

Inflorescence: 2-3 flowers arise from the nodes opposite the leaves on the pseudobulbs.
Flower size:  About 1 to 1.5 inches across.
Plant habit: Sympodial growth habit with pendulous pseudobulbs reaching up to 2 feet in length. The leafless canes are a deep maroon red. Found growing on trees covered in moss in considerable amount of shade.
Altitude: Above 900 metres asl.
Flowering time:  September to October.  It blooms from pseudobulbs that have just completed their growth during the monsoons.
Fragrance: Yes.
Distribution: Western Ghats.

Polystachya concreta

This is a pan tropical species and a very peculiar looking sympodial orchid because it looks like a terrestrial but is epiphytic. The individual growths can measure anywhere between 2 to 6 inches in height and are found growing in a reasonable amount of shade at about 800 to 1000 meters asl. The non fragrant flowers are very tiny, about 3 mm across with floral segments which are green in colour except for the lip which is white and occupies a superior position. The flowers are arranged on a terminal branched raceme and bloom from June through August.

Eulophia graminea/epidendreae

Inflorescence:  Upright branched raceme with sequentially opening flowers.
Flower size: About an inch across.
Plant habit: Terrestrial found growing in leaf litter and humus in rock crevices. The plant has a bulb like stem with alternating thin leaves.
Altitude: A little inland at sea level.
Flowering time:  September to November.
Fragrance:  None.
Distribution: India, Sri Lanka, South East Asia.
Heat tolerance: Blooms freely in the plains.
Hortus malabaricus name:  Katou-Theka Maravara

Cleisostoma tenuifolium

Inflorescence: Drooping raceme
Flower size: 7 mm across
Plant habit:  Small-sized epiphyte with thin long leaves
Altitude:  Sea level to 800 meters asl
Flowering time:  July through September
Fragrance:  None
Distribution:  South West India, Sri Lanka and Thailand
Heat tolerance:  Blooms in the plains
Hortus malabaricus name:  Tsjerou mau maravara, Kolli tsjerou mau maravara

Aerides ringens

Status: Fairly common.
Altitude: Sea level to 2300 m.
Plant habit: Epiphytic with narrow long leaves.
Inflorescence: Raceme with some secondary branching.
Flowers: 0.5 cm across and 1.5 cm in length. Colours vary from pale pink at sea level to deep magenta at higher altitudes.
Flowering: Mar to April at higher altitudes and June to July at lower altitudes.
Endemism: Southern India and Sri Lanka.
Fragrance: No.
Heat tolerance: Blooms at sea level.

Rhytionanthos rheedei

Status: Not common.
Habit: Crawling epiphyte.
Altitude: 800 metres asl.
Inflorescence: Umbel with 2 to 4 flowers.
Flowers: Shoe shaped flowers measuring about 7 mm in length.
Flowering season: June and July.
Fragrance: No.
Heat tolerance: Blooms at lower altitudes.
Hortus Malabaricus name: Tsjerou Tecka Maravara
Endemism: Kerala, Karnataka.

Cymbidium aloifolium

Finally the  heat of summer has begun and Cymbidium aloifolium is bursting into bloom. This plant was first recorded as Kansjiram Maravara by Hendrik Adriaan van Rheede tot Drakenstein, the then Dutch Governer of Cochin in his Hortus Malabaricus which is a treatise on the medicinal plants found in the Malabar region of India which was the hub of the spice trade in those days. The plant was thus named because it was found growing on a Kansjiram tree (Strychnos nuxvomica). Maravara which is a corruption of Maravazha refers to orchids in general. This plant has leathery belt shaped leaves measuring between 25 and 60 cm long and about 3 cm wide. It blooms during the month of April with pendulous racemes carrying around 10 to 30 flowers which last for about a week. The flowers have a very faint musty smell to them.

Please note that this is the same plant referred to as Cymbidium bicolor in Du Puy & Cribb's 'The Genus Cymbidium'.

Cottonia peduncularis

Also known as the bee orchid, it is found in Peninsular India and Sri Lanka and blooms during February and March with a very long and thin inflorescence that is branched at the apex and carries short lived flowers so much so that only two flowers are open at a time. The petals and sepals are reflexed backwards and the lip resembles a bee. The thin inflorescence bobs under the weight of the flower creating an impression of a flying bee.