September 2017 Plant of the Evening - Dockrilla Stephen

Dockrillia Stephen

The plant is a small specimen dockrillia hybrid. It is a rather old primary dockrillia hybrid of Dockrillia schoenina and Dockrillia striolata (registered in 1983), both Australian species. It had 12 attractive very well presented, large flowers, with an average width of 45mm across the lateral sepals. The flower size is considerably larger than either parents.

The flower bears the characteristics of both parents. The widely spreading tepals and the attractive purple markings on the margins of the mid-lobe of the labellum come from Dockrillia schoenina whereas the colouration and striations of the tepals are characteristics of the Wattagon form of Dockrillia striolata.

We obtained the plant as a small division in 2011 and mounted it on a piece of cork bark. It hangs east facing in our shade-house with the other dockrillias and has flowered every year.