Bulbophyllum Pg3

lobbii and relatives: Bulbophyllum lobbii has a wide geographical distribution and it is not surprising that there are differences in vegetative forms and flowers. This page highlights some forms and close relatives that I have. Unfortunately, most of the forms  are not exceedingly floriferous although they grow quite well in the lowland.

 

B. dearei is a variable plant distributed from Malaysia, Borneo, Indonesia and Phillippines. It is easily differentiated from B. lobbi by two rear pointing protrusions on the lip, shown in the top photo here.

 2 forms are shown:

Top: From Sarawak- this has  shorter petals and paler flower. Its leaves are spade shape and pseudobulbs round rather than long as in the following form. 

Lower 2 photoes: Bright yellow form from Phillippines with very curved petals and lateral sepal.

 

B. smitlandii is from the B. lobbi complex, where taxonomist have still not decided whether to group them as different species or merged them into a highly variable species. This is a rare plant from Southern Thailand only rediscovered recently after a long disappearance.

 

This is the Sumatran form of the B. lobbi. It has a spotted dorsal sepal and a red lateral sepal which curls downwards at the base.  

This is the Peninsula Malaysia form of the famed B. lobbii, which has large flower, long petals and strongly curved sepals.  It is very similar to Sumatran form except for the colour. .

 

B olectopetalum - the vegetative feature is certainly unusual amongst the varieties - very round pseudobulbs and thick spade shaped leaves. The flower  is rather small, squat and pale. 

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