When is a jewel orchid not a jewel orchid?
Jewel orchids have been popular subjects for decades, and is now appearing to gain renewed interest, likely due to the foliage boom which took root since the COVID pandemic. It was inevitable. As people waded into begonias and sonerilas, the next steppingstone unexpectedly were the jewel orchids which were generally smaller and have similar care regimes. However, as more collectors joined in on the fray, the definition of jewel orchids became more and more loose. More muddied. The term 'jewel orchids' actually originally refers to a group of orchids included in tribe Cranichidae , most especially those from subtribe Goodyerinae . Nowadays, a jewel orchid can be any terrestrial orchid with patterned leaves. The problem with this concept is that it admits other plants that are beyond the boundaries of what essentially is a natural group. Someone in the near future with very little understanding of plant relationships but who commands a vast social media following may even inclu...