Coelogyne moultonii

Selected Species - by Peter Taylor

Coelogyne moultonii

Coelogyne moultonii first described in 1912 J.J. Smith, is a beautiful member of Section Tomentosae of the genus Coelogyne, closely related to the better known (on the mid-north coast of NSW at least) Coel. tomentosa and Coel. rochussenii.

I was fortunate to obtain a division of this species some twenty years ago and grew it successfully in a glasshouse in Sydney. On relocating to Port Macquarie I parted with most of my supposedly warm-growing species as I now grow only in shadehouse conditions. What a mistake! Coelogyne moultonii went to a new home and I now realize that it and some other treasures that I parted with would grow nicely here.

So my memories of this lovely Coelogyne species will have to do.

John Lindley established the genus Coelogyne, in 1821 based on his study of Coelogyne cristata and Coel. punctulata. There are approximately one hundred and ninety species and the genus is in the subtribe Coelogyninae, which includes the increasingly popular genus Dendrochilum. The name 'Coelogyne' derives from the Greek 'koilos' -hollow and 'gyve' - female, and refers to the deep stigmatic surface at the front of the flower's column.

Coelogyne species are geographically widespread and are found from South East Asia (India and Sri Lanka) to Thailand, Indochina, Indonesia the Philippines, New Guinea and across to Fiji and Tonga. I imagine that the most widely found species in Australian collections is the lovely Coel. cristata (sometimes named Coel. cristata var. lemoniana, after Sir Charles Lemon in the 1870s). This beautiful variety has a pale yellow lip.

Johannes Jacobus Smith, the taxonomist who first described Coel. moultonii, was a horticulturist turned botanist who found the allure of the orchid species growing in the forests near the coffee plantation in the Dutch East Indies where he was employed as inspector too strong to resist.

He spent much of his working life at the Buitenzorg Botanic Gardens and wrote many articles and papers on orchid species. Later, in ill-health, he retired to Holland where he had a glasshouse filled with rare orchid treasures. Sadly, during World War II lack of fuel caused him to part with his collection. He died in 1947.

Coelogyne moultonii originates in Borneo (Sarawak and Sabah) and is recorded by Clayton (2002) as 'epiphytic or lithophytic in rocky areas, landslides and lower montane oak-laurel forests .... on trunks of trees, sometimes lithophytic on mossy rocks.' The species is dedicated to J. C. Moulton, curator of the Sarawak Museum (1905-1915) and later Chief Secretary to the Governor of Sarawak. Moulton made a number of expeditions to West Borneo.

The pseudobulbs are cylindrical and slender and each has two leaves. I grew the species successfully in well-drained black plastic pots in a sphagnum moss and polystyrene mix, with a minimum of 12°C and in dappled sunlight. Coelogyne moultonii requires high humidity and a marginally brief rest period in winter. Like many other Coelogyne species, it resented repotting and was inclined to 'sulk' for some months after potting. If you can find this species be careful not to over-water during this 'sulking' period.

I have written before on Coelogyne species for this magazine, mentioning Coel. pandurata, Coel. speciosa and Coel. mooreana. They are all noble species, well worth space in your collection. In addition to the subject of this article could I suggest that you also try to locate Coel. lawrenceana, Coel. xyrekes, Coel. assamica and Coel. schultesii as additions which will give you much pleasure to grow and flower.

Port Macquarie, NSW

Originally published in Orchids Australia April 2007.