Scaphosepalum merinoi

The Scaphosepalums includes some of the oddest flowers in the orchid world.  Scaphosepalum merinoi from Ecuador is no exception and even the flower buds are oddly shaped.  Like many other species in the genus this flowers successively over a long period of time, so that the ends of the flower spikes begin to take on a herringbone pattern.  The flowers are 6cm across and the flower spikes are 20 cm long.  The plant is from Ecuador and is 8-10cm tall.  It is best grown mounted because of its long flower spikes.

Scaphosepalum merinoi

This is another unusual species from Ecuador.  The Scaphosepalums all have these "horned" flowers, though in some cases the appendages are not as long as in this species.  The plant itself has Masdevallia-like leaves and growth, approximately 8 cm tall, but the flower spikes are very long compared to the plant, 20 cm, and they continue to lengthen as the flowers are produced one after another, six or more per spike.  The flowers are 6 cm from tip to tip, rather large for the genus.  The plant is supposed to be warmth tolerant, but I grow it cool.  It is best grown mounted because of its long spikes

Scaphosepalum gibberosum

This plant has some of the oddest flowers of any orchid.  Even the names are an attempt to describe some of the peculiarities of this plant and its relatives.  Scaphosepalum means "fused sepals" and gibberosum refers to the hump-like swellings on the flower stem.

The plant is 20 cm tall, but the flower spikes continue to grow, producing a succession of flowers at widely-spaced intervals and growing as long as 50 cm.  The flowers are about 5 cm and can only be described with a picture they are so odd.

The plant is from Colombia and from high altitudes in the Andes, requiring cool temperatures and high humidity.  My plant grows in a net pot in live sphagnum moss and is in bloom nearly the year around.  It requires some space, however, because of the long flower spikes.

Scaphosepalum anchoriferum

Scaphosepalum is a genus related to Masdevallia and Pleurothallis and belonging, therefore to the Pleurothallid alliance. All the species in the genus, a total of about 15, have very unusual flowers. This species comes from Costa Rica and Panama. It is around 8 cm tall, with pendant spikes about 5 cm long that bloom repeatedly, one flower at a time. The flowers themselves are 1 cm long and very intricate and highly colored. The plant likes cool and moist conditions and because it spikes are pendant needs to be mounted or grown in a small mesh basket.