Coelogyne ovalis is such a tough, easy-going orchid and flowers over such a long period that it is justifiably popular with both beginners and experienced growers. There is a wide variety of forms of Coelogyne ovalis and its long flowering season makes it so available to cross with another Coelogyne - in this case the also very popular, attractive and available Coelogyne mooreana.
Coelogyne ovalis has passed on a very dark influence to the off-spring. The dark lip and throat have dominated the soft orange/yellow of Coelogyne mooreana and also reduced the width of the petals and sepals. Thankfully, the white has carried through totally and the end result is an interesting flower with reasonably large, simple sepals and a coffee coloured, nicely marked lip which clearly indicates its Coelogyne ovalis heritage
Whilst Coelogyne ovalis is a very strong, rambling orchid, the internodes on the hybrid have been greatly reduced to form a much more 'clumping' growth style. Despite this the hybrid has a vigorous vegetative habit. The quite elongated psuedobulbs that each support two leaves, are heavily enveloped in bracts. The flower emerges from the top of the almost completely developed psuedobulb and opens well and upward with a very mild perfume.
Negatives: The plant above has a lot of leaf relative to the amount of flowers. As these plants have matured the flower display has become very impressive. The bracts have the potential to become untidy after flowering and the rambling, semi-aerial roots could become messy in time. I think the plant is best grown in a pot but growing on a broad, solid mount could be an option. These growth traits may mean that this hybrid needs a little more care and maintenance to keep it looking at its best. Growing on mounts requires more attention to humidity to prevent the plant suffering drought.
This plant would be a lot more attractive if it produced more flowers. The amount of vegetation out-weighs the limited number of flowers and the small inflorescences.
This Kirribilli hybrid was registered with the RHS in January 2015 and named in honor of my much loved maternal grandmother who owned a number of farms around the Bathurst/Blaney/Eugowra region of NSW Australia during the early 1900s.
Rating: ♦♦♦ This hybrid is from two very popular Coelogyne species that have both earned a reputation for ease of care and reliability. After you have acquired nice specimens of both parents, and if you have space, this new hybrid could make a welcome and interesting addition to your collection.
Sometimes sold as: an unregistered plant labeled as Coelogyne ovalis x Coelogyne mooreana in Australia. My theory is that this plant is possibly Coelogyne ovalis x Coelogyne cristata (unregistered) because of its curled sepals similar to what would be expected from using Coelogyne cristata as a parent.
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