Selected Species – Coelogyne mooreana Rolfe

The intrepid plant-hunter who first sent the spectacular Coelogyne mooreana to Europe, Wilhelm Micholitz, holds an important place in the history of plant collection. He collected for the great firm of Sander of St. Albans, England, and his travels, bravery and keen sense of intrigue enabled some wonderful orchid species to grace the collections of English and European enthusiasts before the Great War.

He collected in South America but not with much enthusiasm as he enjoyed ‘the well-ordered British and Dutch colonies in the East’ but his successes in Asia were noteworthy. To mention a few of his `introductions' - Phalaenopsis micholitzii, Aerides micholitzii, Dendrobium dearei, Dendrobium schutzei, Dendrobium spectabilis and he revolutionized the genus Cymbidium with Cym. insigne, Cym. erythrostylum and Cym. parishii var. sanderae. Sadly, although he made a comfortable nest-egg' for himself, his savings were wiped out in the chaotic economic conditions in postwar Germany and he died in poverty in 1932.

If he had collected no other plant, his fame would have been assured with his sending to his employer probably the 'best' (if one can label any species 'the best'!) of the Coelogyne species, Coelogyne mooreana from Annam (now Vietnam) in 1905. It flowered the following year and was immediately awarded a First Class Certificate - as you can see from the accompanying illustration, with good reason!

Sander named the species after F.W. Moore of the Glasnevin Botanic Garden in Dublin and it was formally described in the Kew Bulletin in 1907 by R.A. Rolfe, the founder of The Orchid Review.

I am surprised that more literature has not been devoted to this species which is, to my undoubtedly biased eye, the most spectacular and 'best' Coelogyne species and an orchid which, when well-flowered, can hold its own against any competition. It is a 'neat' plant with tidy ovoid pseudobulbs and long, handsome leaves. The erect inflorescence can grow to 50cm and hold three to eight wonderful flowers approx. I Ocni broad. All floral segments are a pristine snow-white with a golden to dark orange disc on the midlobe of the lip. Rentoul (1982) describes it as “Coelogyne mooreana probably fills the place of the best and brightest (Coelogyne)".

At least one hybrid has been made with the species, the attractive Coelogyne Memoria W. Micholitz 1950) using the beautiful Coelogyne lawrenceana; again, to my `eye' the hybrid does not match the beauty of the `mooreana' parent.

So why don't we read more and see more of this species? Perhaps one answer lies with its reputation as a `tricky' grower. Rentoul (1982) maintains that "Coelogyne mooreana is one of the more difficult of the genus to cultivate" and certainly some experienced species growers have had trouble with cultivation, especially in winter but, note the comment of the authors Charles and Margaret Baker, who write with knowledge on orchid species "it is amongst the easiest of the genus to grow and flower with no special cultural demands or requirements".

As with all species orchids, consideration of its habitat holds the key to its cultivation.

Coelogyne mooreana grows in the Lang Bien Mountains near Dalat, approximately 240km northeast of Ho Chi Minh City. It is found at an elevation of 1200 to 1300 metres. Its yearly maximum temperature is approx. 28°C in April (October equivalent in the Southern Hemisphere) and its low is approx. 12°C in January (July in the Southern Hemisphere). Rainfall is dramatically decreased in winter and is heavy in summer. The plants have good air movement at all times. Winter is the brightest season as the summers in this part of Vietnam are characterized by a heavy cloud cover.

Using these habitat notes as a guide, I tried the following on the back division of Coelogyne mooreana 'Brockhurst' FCC/RHS, kindly given to me a couple of years ago by Mike Hynes, one of Sydneys best species growers with an enviably collection of plants. My plant is under potted in a `Port Pot' with sphagnum moss as the medium. Air movement is provided by fans both over the benches and under bench (thus moving around some of the lovely cool, moist air from the floor area). In summer the plant grows under two layers of 50% shade cloth and in winter all shade cloth is removed and the plant grows under clear glass. It is sparingly watered in winter - in fact, the `sphag' goes quite dry but the plant is misted about three times a week to approximate the dews which plants enjoy even when the rainfall is nonexistent.

As I write this (mid-January) a fat healthy flower spike is appearing in the centre of the new growth. I do hope that writing of the appearance of the flower spike is not the proverbial 'kiss of death'!

One important cultural factor I almost forgot to mention. Do not let water lodge in the new growth. This can easily cause rot to set in and, on a flowering growth, the obvious loss of a long-awaited beauty.

When my plant flowers (touch wood!) and I spend some little quiet time away from the noise and bustle of the world, contemplating its beauty, I will not forget Wilhelm Micholitz and his gift to the genus Coelogyne.