Not well known, Coelogyne chloroptera is a small to medium Coelogyne from the Philippines with several smallish (2.5cm) fragrant flowers with a pale green colouring. It grows on trees and rocks around 1000 - 1500m.

It is an interesting Coelogyne in that it is neither green nor white and sits between the green flowered Coelogyne virescens and the whites such as Coelogyne lactea or huettneriana. Being from the Philippines, it requires a warm humid environment even though it has been found at altitudes around 1000 metres. However, it is important to remember that 1000 metres on a tropical island is a very different climate to 1000 metres on a continent!

It was named by Professor Heinrich Reichenbach way back in 1883 and given its name after the green wings on the flower (chloroplasts are the green cells in many leaves).

It is hardy and easy to grow in humid, intermediate to warm conditions in a well drained pot. It generally only flowers once per year and the flowers last for a good couple of weeks.

Negatives: The flower colour is muted by the dull green sepals and if space is limited a grower may prefer a straight green or a straight white flower.

Rating: ♦♦♦

Sometimes sold as: Coelogyne confusa which is very rare in the wild today. It is very difficult to get a clear and simple definition between Coelogyne chloroptera and Coelogyne confusa. I have seen examples of Coel chloroptera that perfectly match Dudley Clayton's description but, as always, it is the variations that drive one to distraction in a quest to put everything in its correct pigeon hole. Generally, Coel confusa has more leathery (coriaceous) leaves with about twice as many 'nerves' or distinct veins and the psuedobulbs can have a bulge in the middle. Note the little extra bits of keel on the end of the lip in the Coelogyne chloroptera image above.

Varieties: None known

Hybrids:

1. Coelogyne Kirribilli Phoebe (Kevin Dawes 2015) using Coelogyne huettneriana as the pollen parent.

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