Using the Internet for Orchid Research By Kyoko Imai
So... you have a gorgeous new orchid but don’t really know what it is. Sure, it has a tag, but let’s start with that abbreviation - what on earth does it mean? There are some great resources out there on the web – you might want to check them out.
Perhaps you know offhand what Otr. stands for and which genera make up this intergeneric. If you don’t, you can find out at websites The Orchid House, and NotSoGreenThumb (in the About Orchids section). (And while you’re there, pick up some growing tips and look through more gorgeous photographs.)
In order to understand the cultural needs of your orchid, it helps to know the species background. To take an extreme example, not all dendrobiums like the same conditions - do not treat your kingianum the same as your helix.
How can you tell if you have a specie? Well, if you found out in step one that the abbreviation stands for a cross between two genera, then you certainly do not have a specie. Also, you can usually tell by looking at whether or not the name begins with a capital letter - if it does, it’s also a hybrid. I say “usually” because not all plant tags are accurate, and I have plenty that are written in ALL CAPS.
If you have a hybrid that is only one or two generations away from its species origins, you could easily search its parentage online. Parentage searches can be conducted on the Royal Horticultural Society’s website (the Grex Name Search). For example, if you were to enter “Petite Stars” into the grex field, you would learn that Brassolaelia Petite Stars is a cross between Brassolaelia Richard Mueller and Laelia rubscens. Search “Richard Mueller” and you will find that it is a cross of two species, Brassavola nodosa and Laelia milleri. (If you were to look up Laelia milleri, you would quickly figure out that it is a specie.)
Since you can only go up one generation at a time on the RHS website, searching a hybrid that is several generations away from its species origins is not practical. In those cases, you could take a guess from its growth habit, ask someone with access to a proprietary database like Wildcatt, or ask at your next society meeting.
Once you have figured out the parentage, you can search for cultural information on those species. An excellent first stop for species information on the web is the Internet Orchid Photo Encyclopedia.
Also, a web search will often retrieve cultural information prepared by various societies, individuals, and commercial growers. If you use Google, it helps to use their Advanced Search interface or to use some of their simple commands, such as quotation marks around phrases and a plus sign before required terms. If necessary, add search terms like "culture", "light", or "fertilize" to narrow the search results down to cultural information.
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