Barbosella cogniauxiana

This species is a micro-miniature.  It grows as a mat of oval leaves that are only 1.5cm, with flower spikes of 5 cm and single 3 cm flowers.  The plant is temperature tolerant and easy to grow and can produce a mass of flowers that almost completely hide the plant itself.  It is best grown mounted and mine is on a small piece of branch, where it tends to ramble.  It is related to Pleurothallis and belongs to a small group of species from Central and South America, in this case from Brazil.

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Promenaea stapellioides

Promenaea stapellioides is a miniature, cool-temperature species from Brazil.  In fact, all the species in this genus are from Brazil.  The species name refers to a genus of succulents whose flowers these are supposed to resemble.  The plant is 8 cm tall with 4 cm flowers that are semi-pendant.  My plant is grown in live sphagnum moss in a plastic net pot.

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Promenaea xanthina 'Botanica'

Promenaea is a relatively unknown genus of orchids from Brazil.  The different species in the genus are all small, produce large flowers for the size of the plant and require cooler temperatures, high humidity and good air movement.  Promenaea xanthina is the best-known species in the genus and the most readily available.  It has 5 cm flowers on an 8 cm plant and blooms prolifically when happy.

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Pleurothallis mathildae

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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Laelia sincorana

Laelia sincorana, now reclassified as Cattleya sincorana is one of the smaller species and a real jewel.  It is from Brazil and blooms here in the spring.  The round pseudobulbs with their leaves are 10 cm tall and the flowers the same size or a bit larger.  The flower spikes emerge from within the leaves just as the leaves begin to unfold and the flowers are usually born singly, though occasionally I get two flowers from a flower spike.  I grow the plant with the highest light I can give it in cool to intermediate temperatures and mounted on a piece of tree branch.

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Lankesterella ceracifolia

This micro-miniature orchid is related to the Cattleyas and is from Argentina and Brazil. It belongs to a genus of small orchids that includes around 10 species. This species has a rosette of succulent leaves and flowers that are only a half centimeter in size. It blooms in the spring and seems to do best on a rough mount of some kind.

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Trisetella triglochin

This is one of the more common Trisetella species, if it is identified correctly.  I've found that most of the plants in this genus I purchase are misidentified.  Trisetella triglochin, also found under the name Trisetella huebneri is found both in southern Central America and northern South America.  It is extremely variable in flower shape and color.  This plant is only 3 cm tall with flowers that are also 3 cm in size and are produced on very thin 5 cm spikes that produce several flowers in succession.

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Barbosella australis

Barbosella australis is a tiny creeping species with paddle-shaped leaves and large flowers in proportion to the size of the plant.  The leaves are 1.5 cm and the flowers 2 cm.  It always blooms for me in autumn and is from southern Brazil (hence the name australis).  The flowers are not very showy but are unusually shaped and colored and the genus is related to Masdevallia and Pleurothallis.

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Promenaea stapelioides

The Promenaeas are all cool growing, lower light species from Brazil.  This species, my favorite, is named for its flowers' resemblance to the flowers of a Stapelia plant.  The plant is 8 cm tall with bluish-green leaves, small pseudobulbs and large 4 cm flowers.  I grow it in live sphagnum in a plastic net pot and keep it moist with high humidity.

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Promenaea xanthina

All the Promenaea species are miniatures and all are from Brazil.  They are small plants with large flowers and worth growing if one can provide cooler temperatures and good humidity.  One of the more brightly colored species is Promenaea xanthina with its beautiful yellow flowers.  The plant is only 6-8 cm tall with small flattened pseudobulbs and soft, pale green foliage.  The flowers are 4-5 cm in size and make a good display if happy.

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Acianthera bragae

Acianthera bragae, also known as Pleurothallis sarracenia, is a tiny species with deeply channeled terete (pencil-like) leaves.  The leaves are 3 cm long and grow in a row on a creeping stem.  The 2 cm flowers usually come in pairs with the flowers facing each other, but occasionally as one.  The species is from Brazil.  I grow it mounted giving it cool temperatures, high humidity and good light.

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