Pleurothallis mathildae is from Brazil. It is sometimes found under the name Trichosalpinx mathildae, and that name is probably more current. The plant is 7 cm tall, the flower spikes also 7 cm and the tiny flowers less than 1 cm. The flowers do not open widely on some plants including my own. I grow it on a small branch with cool to intermediate temperatures.
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Acronia stricta or Pleurothallis stricta is one of the few Pleurothallis that I grow. Because many of them are very large plants and because the flowers are often small in proportion to the plant, I've weeded most of them out of my collection, though more for lack of room than for lack of interest. This is one of the few I still have. The plant is about 15 cm tall with narrow leaves and the flower spikes are again that long with 2 cm flowers. The flowers do not, however, last very long, though they bloom several at time in succession,
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Pleurothallis mathildae or Trichosalpinx mathildae, as it is sometimes known, is a small species from Brazil. My plant is 7 cm tall and the flower spikes about the same length, the flower less than 1 cm in size. The flowers are attractive when seen close but are very small and do not open widely.
Effusiella cypripedioides goes under quite a few different names. If I am not mistaken the most current name is Stelis cypripedioides, but it can also be found under the name Pleurothallis cypripedioides. By any name it is an unusual plant. The plant itself is around 10cm tall and looks like many other Pleurothallids. The flower spikes, however are different. They are pendant and some of them have reached a length of nearly 15cm. They bloom over a very long period of time, with a number of flowers open on each spike at once. The 1cm flowers, too, are very unusual, a creamy green spotted with purple. They do not open widely but the opening and interior of the flower is covered with white hairs. This plant received a Certificate of Cultural Merit from the American Orchid Society (CCM/AOS) last week at the annual show of the Mount Baker Orchid Society and was awarded under the named Stelis cypripedioides. The species is from Ecuador and Peru.
Canidentis means "dog's tooth" and the name in this case refers to the shape of the petals. Acronia or Pleurothallis canidentis is from Costa Rica, Panama and Colombia and is only 12cm tall with 2cm flowers, which are produced one at a time from the sheath at the base of the heart-shaped leaf. The unusual colors and size of the flowers make it a desirable species, but it is cool-cold growing, coming from higher elevations and does not seem to tolerate warmer temperatures very well.
Once classified as Pleurothallis amparoana, this is a charming species by any name and one of my favorite orchids. It blooms profusely in autumn but continues to produce occasional flower spikes throughout the year. I missed the opportunity to take pictures this past autumn but did take a few recently when it had several new flower spikes and have included an older photo, the last, that shows the plant in full flower. The species from Costa Rica and the plant is 12cm tall with 1 cm flowers. It seems to be very temperature tolerant and easy to grow.
Acianthera bragae, also known as Pleurothallis sarracenia, is a tiny creeping species with terete (pencil-like) leaves. The leaves are 3cm long and grow in a row on a creeping stem. The 2cm flowers usually comes in pairs with the flowers facing each other, but occasionally as one. The species is from Brazil. I grow it mounted and with cool temperatures.
Dracontia pachyglossa, also known as Pleurothallis paphyglossa, is a species from Mexico, Guatemala and Costa Rica. My plant is 15cm tall with flower spikes equally long that come from the base of the leaf and bloom successively with four to five 2 cm flowers. The plant is temperature tolerant and like most Pleurothallids prefers good humidity and air movement.
This attractive species not only has an abundance of fragrant, white flowers, but has beautiful spotted foliage as well, and it blooms repeatedly from the same growths. The plant is 15 cm tall and the individual flowers are less than 1 cm, blooming in the spring. It is from Brazil and belongs to the Specklinia section of the genus, Pleurothallis.
Acianthera bragae, formerly known as Pleurothallis sarracenia is an intriguing miniature orchid. From Brazil, its thick, channeled leaves are only 2-3 cm long and the flowers the same size. The plant grows as a rambling mat of leaves and the flowers come in pairs from the base of the leaves. The flowers are tubular, look like little slugs and the flowers in a pair usually face in opposite directions. On some clones the leaves are spotted, but mine shows none of the spotting. It flowers once a year and I grow it on a small mount from which it rambles off in all directions. I had intended to take more pictures of the whole plant, but the flowers were finished before I got around to it and so I am posting just this one picture.
Effusiella cypripedioides, or as it is still sometimes known, Pleurothallis cypripedioides, is an amazing orchid. It comes from Ecuador and Peru and ts flowers are similar in some ways to Effusiella amparoana, which also has "hairy toilet-bowl" flowers. The plant is 10 cm tall, much shorter than E. amparoana, and the leaves are "paddle" shaped rather than long and narrow. The flower spikes are pendant and produces a series of flowers with two or three open at the same time. It is supposed to be warm to hot growing and comes from lower elevations, but it does well for me under cool conditions and is grown mounted.
Once classified as part of the massive genus, Pleurothallis, the plant was reclassified in 2004 by Carlyle Luer. By any name, however, it is an oddity, at least in this case. My plant has turned out to be cleistogamous or self-pollinating. It bloomed for the first time this winter with quite a few flower spikes and only one flower opened: the rest developed seed pods.
The plant is 10 cm tall and the flowers are 2 cm in size and lovely light yellow color, but I am going to pass the plant on to someone else. I'd like to see if the flowers are self-pollinating when grown at a warmer temperature, but don't have the time or patience to find out. The plant is very common, ranging from southern Centeral America down through much of South America.
