Some random questions

[Bulbopedilum]

I have some random questions for you orchid people. Sorry I haven't been on for a long time. Not much orchid stuff going on in my place. Didn't get any new ones.
1. How did phalaenopsis become the icon of orchids?
2. What is the "stereotypical" phalaenopsis? Amabilis? Some hybrid?
3. Why aren't those bulbs on cymbidiums not called pseudobulbs? (Or maybe they are and I had no idea)
4. What is the maximum degree of seperation for 2 species to be hibridized? You can ceratinly breed oncidium and odontoglossum but can you breed bulbophyllum and paphiopedilum? (It is my dream to breed bulbophyllum fascinator/rothschildianum and a pahiopedilum.)
5. What is the largest orchid flower and how big is it? (Google search shows Largest Orchid (A grammatophyllum species) Flowers (blooms) at some botanical garden.)

[WhiteRabbit]

3. They are called pseudobulbs on Cymbidiums.

4. Generally, orchids in the same alliance can be crossed. So, Odontoglossum and Oncidium both belonging to the Oncidium alliance can be crossed, while Bulbophyllum (Bulbophyllum alliance) and Paphiopedilum (Cypripedium Alliance) cannot.
There are a few exceptions, tho I believe even the exceptions belong to the same sub-tribe (?) (I am soooo not an expert at taxonomy, sorry). Some Phals may be crossed with some Vanda alliance I believe, and I believe I have read of an Oncidium / Cymbidium cross. There may be others ...

[estación seca]

1 I don't know what you mean by icon of orchids. When I was a kid, if people in the US heard the word "Orchid", it meant a Cattleya and it was probably a corsage. Later Cymbidiums became used as corsage orchids. Dendrobium phalaenopsis hybrids have been used to garnish Hawaiian-themed mixed alcoholic beverages in the US since at least the 1960s.

2 Again in the 1960s, the typical non-orchid gardener in the US would think of a Phalaenopsis as one of the large, white hybrids. I remember when plain pink flowers began appearing, and how amazed people were.

4 Read about the orchid family, and how they are related to each other. You will learn a lot. The more closely related genera are to each other, the more likely they will be able to hybridize.

Phalaenopsis are actually in the Vanda tribe. Under some circumstances they will cross with Vanda. In general, plants in the same tribe will cross in many circumstances. As Sonya said, plants from different tribes will not generally cross.

5 Multilfloral Paphs can have extremely long flower parts. I think some of these would be the biggest orchid flowers. Look up Paph. sanderianum and its relatives in subgenus Polyantha.

[Bulbopedilum]

Thanks! For number 5, I was talking about the "main" flower. Not including long, thin, petals/things. Not sure how to describe it.

[Ray]

I suppose some big, old, floofy cattleyas could very well have the largest individual blossoms, based upon your criterion. Some brassolaeliocattleyas have shown a natural spread of 7.5" (19cm).

[PaphMadMan]

1. Is it really THE icon?

2. The Phalaenopsis species with the most first generation hybrids is Phal equestris. The species with the most total progeny is Phal amabilis. Perhaps one possibility for the "stereotypical" Phal would be the hybrid between them, Phal Artemis, though Phal Cassandra (equestris x stuartiana) is a far more commonly seen and influential hybrid of that general type. But those aren't at all representative of others like Phal violacea or Phal giagntea and many more. Maybe Phal Deventeriana (amabilis x amboinensis).

3. Cymbidiums have some history of being widely grown as semi-terrestrial landscape plants outside of the general orchid growing community. The pseudobulbs are often simply called bulbs in that context, but most orchid growers would call them pseudobulbs.

4. The advice to study and understand the formal classification of orchids is good. "Alliance" is often used in informal ways that do not correspond to evolutionary relationships which are the best general indication of chance of hybridization. Orchid genera in the same Subtribe can often be crossed - like Cattleya x Epidendrum in Subtribe Laeliinae, or Phalaenopsis x Vanda in Subtribe Aeridinae (which is fairly common with over 360 registered Vandaenopsis). Sometimes crosses will work between Subtribes in one Tribe - like Eurychone (Subtribe Aerangidinae) x Phalaenopsis (Subtribe Aeridinae) within Tribe Vandae. There are even a few accepted crosses like Phaius x Cymbidium that are between Tribes.

A couple things to keep in mind though. Classifications change even at these higher levels, and new data can change the interpretation of Tribe, Subtribe, etc. Also, there isn't some standard level of relatedness that defines a Tribe or Subtribe, etc. One Subtribe might be more genetically diverse so less able to cross than a Tribe in another Subfamily.

5. If you must exclude orchid flowers with long dangly bits, perhaps the largest is Cattleya warscewiczii (aka Cattleya gigas (meaning giant)). Flowers up to about 11 inches (28cm).