Dendrochilum arachnites or wenzelii

[moria0672]

Watching "orchidspecies" I'm not sure about its right identification.
The plant is labeled as Dendrochilum arachnites but flower colour and size doesn't match (2 cm. in the site agaist 0.8 that I've measured, and colour red agains yellow) and coulour is very similar to Dendrochilum wenzelii (but leaves are very similar and there's no size on the site to compare it).
Could someone help me to have the right identification of this plant??





Ciao

[cb977]

Here's the report I found on the one awarded Dendrochilum arachnites listed on Orchidwiz...

[moria0672]

Thanks for the fast reply Susanne, but what you believe? In the pdf enclosed file are indicated all sizes (I presume in inches) but no indications about flower colour.

Thanks a lot

[cb977]

Hi Massimo

The word "Chartreuse" is actually a green color. The following link will show you what it looks like:
Free Online Color Chart

Your plant looks nothing like that which leads me to believe it's Dendrochilum wenzelii. Here's the Orchidwiz report...the colors range from salmon to brick red

[David Morris]

This is what most taxonimists are calling wenzellii. There is also a brown and a yellow form.

[moria0672]

Thank you Susanne, the colour in my pictures (fortunately) is real (no changes caused by camera) and is very similar to firebrick.

David I've noted that (colour apart) the flower is very similar to the first picture you've enclosed, but googling I've also found pictures that indicate my orchid as Dendrochilum arachnites.
What's the right one?? This thing drives me crazy!!!!!!!!!

[David Morris]

I had sent years ago a sample of the Dendrochilum to Eric Christenson. He stated that it was correct as wenzelii and that it comes in both a red and a yellow phase. I have also seen a brown variety. I think the original source of confusion is that in the late 1980's I was importing (and selling) this species under the name arachnites.

[ennery]

hi searching google for my plant luckily i came across the forum ,the plant is believe it or not is
Dendrochillum arachnites var "red form" so have i confused the issue even more?the nursery i obtained it from is from a well know grower so i dont think he would have labeled it wrong,its not in flower i havnt had it that long,but now i cant wait to compare photos
ennery

[moria0672]

As you can see Ennery, isn't easy to have the right identification expecially when the orchid flower is little.
In this case I was luky and my Dendrochilum wenzelii now has the right label. The friend who gaves me this young plant had the same problem, now thanks to the friends of this forum, his plants are correctly labeled too.
I wait your photos

Ciao

[Mike O'C]

Originally Posted by David Morris

This is what most taxonimists are calling wenzellii. There is also a brown and a yellow form.

Hi David,
I am a relatively new "kid on the block" so I missed the discussion on this thread. In South Africa we had the same problems with plants being labelled as Dendrochilum arachnites "Red" and "Yellow" but neither the red nor the yellow were Dendrochilum arachnites. Looking at your thumbnails I would just like to ask: "Is the one yellow flower not Dendrochilum javieri? I am currently looking at all my Dendrochilums and trying to correct labels. A very useful book is the one by Jim Cootes on native orchids of the Philippines (not sure of the correct title but it is something like that). Worth having a look at. I have tried to translate the key in Das Pflanzenreich from Latin using my Stern's "Botanical Latin" but not all the Dendrochilums are listed and I do not know how good my Latin translation is. I cannot remember if there is a description in the ames reprints that I have of Dendrochilums arachnites, wenzellii or javierii.
Keep well and kind regards
Mike