Monday, January 10, 2011

Lepanthes telipogoniflora

Lepanthes telipogoniflora is one of the most beautiful and sought-after species in this genus of tropical jewels.  Its large flowers dwarf the tiny plants which produce them and the red-orange color of the flowers stands out in any collection.  The plant is from Colombia and is a relatively new discovery, having only been described for the first time in 1996.  Its name, telipogoniflora, refers to the perceived resemblance of the flowers to those of another orchid genus, Telipogon.


The leaves, which grow in a tight cluster are about 1 cm at their largest, the flowers about 3 cm in diameter.  The flowers are not especially long-lasting, but are produced in succession so that the plant is seldom without flowers.  It is difficult to catch the color of the flowers and their satiny texture, and the lip and petals are so tiny as to go almost unnoticed in the center of the flower, but are very intricate and beautiful when viewed closely.  The plant is supposed to be warm growing but does very well for me in cool conditions with high humidity.



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6 comments:

  1. Makarimi AbdullahJanuary 10, 2011 at 5:44 PM

    So cute ;) I like this, but again I cannot plant in my garden, so sad ;(

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  2. RonJanuary 10, 2011 at 10:04 PM

    No, it's probably both too tiny and too intolerant of hot temperatures.

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  3. StrechJune 14, 2011 at 8:57 PM

    where do you find such wonderful miniature orchids? I would love to know

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  4. RonJune 25, 2011 at 5:34 AM

    Thanks, for looking and commenting, Strech. I get them from many different places, J&L, Andy's Orchids, Ecuagenera, etc. This, if I remember correctly came from a friend in a trade.

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  5. vraevMarch 29, 2015 at 8:46 PM

    Hi Ron,
    Fantastic blog and plants. All my lepanthes grow for a while and then they go downhill. The leaves stop growing, the plant flowers itself to death. Can you please offer suggestions? My flickr is www.flickr.com/vraev
    I would really appreciate if you can please help me with some suggestions. I love lepanthes, but seem to be unable to grow them long term.
    thanks
    V

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  6. RonMarch 31, 2015 at 7:38 AM

    I'm not on Flickr anymore and will not even visit the place. I grow my Lepanthes on small pieces of cork in glass jars with some live sphagnum in the bottom. They seem to do well that way. I also keep them warmer than the rest of my Pleurothallids.

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