Talk:Phalaenopsis hieroglyphica

Linking ideas
Orchid

culture

pronunciation

Lorrie (talk) 18:59, 6 June 2013 (UTC)

Which images to use?
Here are three images at WikiCommons. Is it best to use all three? --User:Litjade(talk) —Preceding undated comment added 00:55, 7 June 2013 (UTC)
 * We can use all three, if you want. I've added a link to Google Images, which has a slew of photos. Do you know how to add the citations within the article?--Lorrie (talk) 15:52, 10 June 2013 (UTC)

Suggestion for WIKISOO students
Several of the students in my Writing Wikipedia Articles class have chosen to work on this article for their class project. I thought perhaps looking at a well developed article on a similar topic might be helpful. I looked at the Biology section of the list of Featured Articles, and found this one: Boletus edulis Perhaps looking through this article will give some ideas about what sections to build in the article, etc.? Don't worry, there's of course no need to write something as long or in-depth as this example; but sometimes having a model can help you take the first steps. -Pete (talk) 18:17, 10 June 2013 (UTC)

Another example
Hey guys! I found another example of an orchid article which you could target to emulate: Cypripedium reginae. This is in the C-class range, which would be two classes above this article, and I think the key thing to look at would be the sections and some of the sources, from both of which you could draw inspiration. Go for it! Be bold! If you need any help, you have lots of classmates, help forums, or you can even ask me. Happy editing!  Go  Phightins  !  01:48, 13 June 2013 (UTC)
 * Thank you, I will look it over and talk with Ejade.Lorrie (talk) 14:15, 13 June 2013 (UTC)

Describing the range of glyph coloration
In the American Orchid Society's Genus of the Month for August 2008, the glyphs are described as "gorgeous purple and lavender." Would it be accurate and significant to describe the coloration as ranging in the purples? -- Litjade (talk)
 * That sounds reasonable to me! This seems like a good example of a source that is at the same time authoritative, but also a little more...er, "colorful"...in its description than we would be here on Wikipedia. "Ranging in the purples" seems like a more neutral and dispassionate way of capturing the factual information. -Pete (talk) 18:12, 16 June 2013 (UTC)

Profiles of botanists mentioned
There's no English-language Wikipedia article on Herman Royden Sweet, but there's one in Spanish here. Would it be best to insert the Spanish link in parentheses after the name or refer to it in an explanatory footnote, or...? --Litjade (talk) 16:12, 17 June 2013 (UTC)

Boxall
There's a Wikipedia article on the painter William Boxall but not the orchid collector. For that reason, a footnote was created to refer to an obituary that profiles his life. --Litjade (talk) 13:13, 1 July 2013 (UTC)

Shaping up sections
Based on earlier suggestions, here's the section organization I'll attempt to implement for the body of the article:


 * 1) Taxonomy
 * 2) Description
 * 3) Natural habitat
 * 4) Conservation
 * 5) Cultivation history

--Litjade (talk) 22:21, 17 June 2013 (UTC)

Adding Wikipedia links TO this page
The islands where it originated might be a good place to add links to this page.Lorrie (talk) 17:45, 18 June 2013 (UTC)

I've added links to this article into the the See Also section of two articles: Keikis & Epiphyte.Lorrie (talk) 17:56, 18 June 2013 (UTC)

2 more citations
Orchids: Care and cultivation by Gerald Leroy-Terquem & Jean Parisot, Publisher: Cassell Illustrated, Octopus Publishing Group, London, 1993 edition; ISBN: 0304343293, pp 174 - 179.

Phalaenopsis, this genus has been modified several times since it was established (the taxonimists named it a species) in 1886. The genus was altered when discoveries of new species caused the need for the genus to be regrouped into different sections. As of this publication date (1993), there were 46 species.

The genus is used by orchid breeders to create intergeneric and intrageneric hybrids to create new species and varieties for specific characteristics, such as bloom size, flower form, flower color, number and duration of blooms. Related genera have been used in hybridization of Phalaenopsis, such as Doritis and Vanda.

Light: Moderate lighting, never expose to full sun except during winter. When outdoors, they should be shielded from direct sunlight or put where they get the eastern sun.

Temperature: This genus, once the plants have reached maturity, grows well in household temperatures of 64 to 68 degrees F (18-20 degrees C), but grows best with warmer temperatures and higher humidity than typically found in houses.

Humidity and watering: Basic guidelines for the genus are to water thoroughly once a week while the plant is actively growing, and water every 10 to 15 days during the winter, when they are not actively growing. Avoid soaking the base of the leaves because water collects in the crown where the leaves come together, causing crown rot and killing the plant.

Repotting: Phalaenopsis do not need frequent repotting and dislike having their roots disturbed. Repot when the potting media (usually bark) has decomposed, when the roots are showing signs of stress. Mature plants, typically, need to be repotted every 2 years.

 Orchids , by John R Dunmire and the editors of Sunset Books, Sunset Books, Menlo Park, California, copyright 1999; ISBN: 0-376-03556-0, pp 69 - 71.

Their popularity is partly due to the "willingness to grow and flower indoors"; attractive even when not in bloom. Roots grow outside the pot, which is normal. Mist the roots that have climbed out of the pot. Flower stems appear from the bases of the leaves.

P. hieroglyphica produces several branching flower stems to 1 foot tall and produce a long succession of 2-inch creamy flowers. This book says they bloom in late summer. [an aside: flowers bloom when the conditions are right, not when the calendar tells them Lorrie (talk)] Lorrie (talk) 23:06, 18 June 2013 (UTC)


 * Indeed, depending on the geographical location, orchid sites and orchidists variously describe the flowering period as spring, spring to summer, and fall. --Litjade (talk) 20:16, 19 June 2013 (UTC)

Wikimedia Commons
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Orchid_flower_PT.JPG

The labels are not in English. Not sure if we should use it. Lorrie (talk) 13:38, 19 June 2013 (UTC)

Found a better one! http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Leptotes.jpg Lorrie (talk) 13:45, 19 June 2013 (UTC)


 * Cool. That'll go well with a summary of Christenson's technical description (above). Also there's a scan of Sweet's 1969 drawing of the flower, lip and individual petal. Should I contact the website for permission, or can I go ahead and upload the image to Wikimedia with the website as the image source? --Litjade (talk) 20:48, 19 June 2013 (UTC)

Anatomy or Morphology?
Apparently plant anatomy studies the internal structures, i.e., the cellular or microscopic level of plants, and plant morphology studies the visibly identifying structures of plants. So I'm wondering whether the section Anatomy would be more accurately titled Morphology. --Litjade (talk) 22:18, 21 June 2013 (UTC)

Would you like a map?
"...an orchid that is native to certain islands of The Philippines."

If it is known upon which islands in particular this lovely plant grows, I volunteer to create a custom map image meeting Wikipedia cartographic standards for this article. I would enjoy working on that with you. ChristineBushMV (talk) 22:24, 21 June 2013 (UTC)

"As an epiphyte, it is found growing on trees in shady locations on the islands of Polillo, Palawan, Mindanao (in Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur) and Luzon at elevations below 500 meters." Would you like to me work on a map using this information? ChristineBushMV (talk) 22:46, 21 June 2013 (UTC)


 * Wow, thanks, Christine. How do we go about it? --Litjade (talk) 09:39, 22 June 2013 (UTC)

First, I just need to confirm that you are confident in your sources regarding Polillo, Palawan, Mindanao and Luzon as the primary locations. If so, I will prepare a first version for your review. Let me know, and I'll get started. ChristineBushMV (talk) 16:51, 22 June 2013 (UTC)


 * Confident, insofar as the sources seem reliable. I'm in correspondence with Australian and Philippine orchidologists (or is it orchidists?) for leads on additional sources as well. Meanwhile, I think it's okay to go for it. --Litjade (talk) 17:50, 22 June 2013 (UTC)


 * Just heard back from one of the botanists, and the primary locations that I found in reliable sources are confirmed! --Litjade (talk) 23:55, 22 June 2013 (UTC)

Ok, I'll get started. Give me a few days. ChristineBushMV (talk) 16:25, 25 June 2013 (UTC)

Map (finally!) added. Sorry for the long incubation on this one. This map doesn't include Luzon, but I hope to update it to do so once I can complete the necessary elevation analysis. ChristineBushMV (talk) 05:29, 10 November 2013 (UTC)


 * Thanks, Christine! What you've done so far looks great. Would you share how you went about it, whether here or on my talk page? --Litjade (talk) 11:25, 10 November 2013 (UTC)

You're welcome! I completed a GIS Analyst certificate program at a local college several years back, had a brief stint of employment doing GIS, and then studied GIS in graduate school. There is a pretty good introduction about how a geographic information system (GIS) works on YouTube. In preparing this map, I have also tried to follow the style guide for locator maps and the style guide for area maps on Wikipedia. ChristineBushMV (talk) 01:30, 11 November 2013 (UTC)

I just updated the map to include the sub-500m locations on Luzon. I used SRTM 90m elevation data to create contours. If time allows, I will try to upload a detail map for Luzon showing the contours or other representation at higher resolution, but for now I hope that this provides a reasonable overview of the location for these plants. ChristineBushMV (talk) 01:29, 23 November 2013 (UTC)

Taxonomy section: Elevation to species, 1969 or 1980?
From the American Orchid Society's Beginners' Series 21, Phalaenopsis, Part-2: "Dr. Herman Sweet, noted orchid taxonomist, in his revision of the genus (Sweet, 1980) contends that a majority of these varieties are in fact species, and he designates them as such: Phalaenopsis hieroglyphica and Phalaenopsis pulchra, among others." — Preceding unsigned comment added by Litjade (talk • contribs) 03:10, 28 June 2013 (UTC)