MANILA, Philippines - Hawaii-based Filipino orchid breeder Dr. Bernardino Cagauan Jr. developed a new strain of Grammatophyllum multiflorum. The new cultivar came from selfing of the multi-awarded, Grammatophyllum multiflorum cv. “Cricket” and every single plant came out small. The Kiilani strain flowers early in 2 inch pots.
The compact plant is the answer to the long bugging problem of marketing Grammatophyllums. All Grammatophyllum species need to grow to at least 18 inches before they start flowering. With the dwarf “Kiilani” strain, it is now possible to commercialize the plant in small pots.
Hybrids of G. multiflorum “Kiilani” and normal G. multiflorum also flower early and the plants are more compact than ordinary G. multiflorum. Hybrids of “Kiilani” and G. multiflorum flava are now in the laboratory in hope of cleaning up the brown blotches. Another virtue of this cretin race is that they can flower whole year round, a big plus for the highly seasonal Grammatophyllums.