Differences Between Pleione bulbocodioides and Aspidistra elatior and Their Care Methods

Scientific name: Pleione bulbocodioides

Aliases: Aspidistra elatior

Family and genus: Orchidaceae, perennial herb

Morphological characteristics:

When Pleione bulbocodioides blooms, a leaf grows beside the flower, which is why it is also called Aspidistra elatior, while the name Pleione bulbocodioides comes from its garlic-shaped pseudobulb.

Terrestrial or epiphytic; pseudobulb oval or conical, 2 cm to 3 cm long; flowering period April to June; erect inflorescence 15 cm to 25 cm tall, usually with a single flower, pale purple or pink, with numerous dark purplish-red spots on the lip.

This orchid is short in stature, with a peach-oval or long-necked flask-shaped pseudobulb. In spring, leaves and flowers appear together, or it flowers first and then produces leaves on both sides or one side of the flower stalk. There are varieties such as one-leaf Pleione and orchid-leaf Pleione. It sheds its leaves in autumn and winter, and the remaining pseudobulbs send up scapes and bloom the following spring. The flowers come in color ranges such as http://www.cnefs.com">rose red, purple, yellow, and white. Each flower is about the size of a thumb and extremely vivid, with a darker-colored lip and fine hairs. The leaves are about 12 cm tall, thick and papery, with folds, and some also have yellow or white linear variegation.

Distribution:

Distributed across the vast region of China's Yangtze River basin and areas to its south, under broad-leaved forests at altitudes above 900 m.

This is a terrestrial orchid, produced in the deep mountains of the provinces and regions south of the Yangtze River basin, and is especially most common in Yunnan.

Growth habits:

Prefers a warm, humid, and semi-shaded environment.

Plant in shallow pots using peat, moss, or leaf mold, and ensure the root zone has good aeration and drainage. It gradually enters dormancy in autumn. After the leaves dry up, keep the potting soil dry until germination begins the following spring.

Uses:

Pleione is suitable for growing as a miniature bonsai, to be placed on a desk, serving as an indoor floral accent.

The pseudobulb of Pleione bulbocodioides, that is, its "garlic head," is also a medicinal material with a detoxifying effect.

Common types: There are white-flowered Pleione, yellow-flowered Pleione, Taiwan, China Pleione, Sichuan Pleione, and others.

Pleione bulbocodioides should be considered an orchid native to China. The entire genus Pleione has about 16 species, and 15 of them are distributed in China. Traces of plants of the genus Pleione can be found in China from Taiwan, China to Xizang.

Although Pleione's homeland is China and some neighboring countries, Pleione is also very popular in European and American countries. This is probably because Westerners first discovered Pleione in Nepal, and its flowers also somewhat resemble saffron, so in English, Pleione is called "Nepalese crocuses"; in English, it also has another name, "window-sill orchids," probably because Pleione is easy to cultivate and is often placed on the windowsills of ordinary households. In addition, there are names such as "Peacock Orchid."

In the West, there are many "enthusiasts" who grow Pleione, and they have collected a large number of Pleione varieties. The famous Chelsea Flower Show in the United Kingdom has awarded prizes to excellent Pleione varieties, and recently scholars at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in the United Kingdom have also specially published a monograph on Pleione. It can be seen that this Oriental orchid has already had considerable influence in the West.