Grammatophyllum scriptum [Lindley]Blume 1849

Inflorescence

Flower Closeup

Photo by Jay Pfahl

LATE and

Common Name The Written Grammatophyllum

Flower Size 1 3/4" [4.5 cm]

Found in Borneo, the Lesser Sunda Islands, the Moluccas, The Philippines, Sulawesi, the Solomon Islands, the Bismark Archipelago, Papua and New Guinea, Fiji and Santa Cruz Islands in lowland and costal forests at elevations of sea level to 100 meters overhanging beaches, lagoons, and coconut plantations on tree trunks and branches and likes bright light as a large to giant sized, hot growing epiphyte with ovoid to ellipsoid, laterally compressed pseudobulbs carrying 5 to 8 broad, coriaceous, linear-ligulate, dull green, basally clasping leaves that blooms on a basal, 4' [120 cm] long, erect to arching, many, waxy flowered, racemose inflorescence arising on a mature pseudobulb that has imperfect flowers at the bottom few rows and many [100], waxy, color variable, heavy textured, campanulate flowers occuring in the late spring or summer. It can become a huge plant, and is from

A trick for better presentation of the flower is to take the top petal and bend it backwards and relax the bow in the petal with your fingers until it locks open, allowing the flower to present itself fully wide open

The Amboin Island native people make a paste from the pseudobulb of G scriptum to heal sores.

Other peoples within this species range use this plant to cure intestinal ailments and a cleanser for worms.

People of the Spice Islands have been known to make a love potion from the seeds of this species.

Synonyms Cymbidium scriptum [L] Sw. 1799; Cymbidium scriptum Stued. 1841; Epidendrum papilionaceum Lam. 1783; *Epidendrum scriptum L.; Gabertia scripta [L]Gaud. 1826; Grammatophyllum boweri FvM. 1883; Grammatophyllum celebicum Schltr.] 1913; Grammatophyllum leopardinum Rchb.f 1888; Grammatophyllum multiflorum var. tigrinum Lindl. 1842; Grammatophyllum scriptum var. boweri (F.Muell.) Schltr. 1912; Grammatophyllum scriptum var minahassae Schltr. 1911; Grammatophyllum scriptum var. tigrinum (Lindl.) Holttum 1964; Grammatophyllum seegerianum hort. 1896; Vanda scripta [L]Spreng. 1828

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Orchidaceae of German New Guinea Schlechter 1914/1985 drawing fide; Die Orchideen Schlechter 1915; AOS Bulletin Vol 15 # 9 1946 photo fideAOS Bulletin Vol 28 No 4 1959; AOS Bulletin Vol 28 No 5 1959; AOS Bulletin Vol 31 No 3 1963 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 33 No 3 1964 photo fide; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965; AOS Bulletin Vol 47 No 6 1978; The Orchids of Papua New Guinea An Introduction Millar 1978 photo fide; The Complete Writings on Philippine Orchids Quisumbing 1981 photo fide; Orchidiana Philippiana Vol 1 Valmayor 1984; The Orchids of the Solomon Islands and Bougainville Lewis & Cribb 1991 drawing/photo fide; Rudolf Schlechter Die Orchideen Band 1B lieferung 25 1520 - 1584 Brieger 1991 drawing/photo fide; A Checklist of the Orchids of Borneo Wood & Cribb 1994 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 62 #2 1998 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 67 No 3 1998 as G multifloum var tigrinum drawing fide; Orchid Australia Vol 11 No 5 1999 photo; Orchid Australia Vol 11 No 6 1999 photo; Orchids of Papua New Guinea Millar 1999 photo fide; Orchid Australia Vol 12 No 1 2000 photo; Lindleyana Vol 17 No 1 2002; Flora Malesiana Orchids of the Philippines Vol I Agoo, Shuiteman and de Vogel 2003; AOS Bulletin Vol 73 No 3 2004; AOS Bulletin Vol 74 No 7 2005 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 76 No 9 2007 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 73 #3 2009 photo fide; A to Z of South East Asian Orchid Species Vol 2 O'Byrne 2011 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 88 #10 2019 photo fide;

Grammatophyllum scriptum [Lindley]Blume 1849 var citrinum

Photo by © Eric Hunt

Inflorescence

Photo courtesy of Nik Fahmi

A color variety of the previous species.

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Orchidaceae of German New Guinea Schlechter 1985; Flora Malesiana Orchids of the Philippines Vol I Agoo, Shuiteman and de Vogel 2003; AOS Bulletin Vol 75 No 10 2006 photo fide;

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