Pleurothallis R.Br.
Many of us have no greenhouses to pamper our plants (and ourselves?). Space to house our collections can become a problem. There are many orchids of smaller size, which would perhaps allow us to grow a good number of different plants without needing lots of space. Orchids of the Pleurothallis group fit into this category. There are other genera that are included under the heading “Pleurothallidinae” like Dracula, Masdevallia, Lepanthes and others; here we will concentrate on a single genus: The Pleurothallis Orchids.
They are generally small plants that can grow in profusion in their native habitats, from Florida South through Argentina and West, with the greatest accumulation in the luxuriant, humid cloud forests of the Colombian Andes, Brazil and Costa Rica. There are over 1,000 species in this genus. The word itself comes from the classic Greek and means “Leafy Rib”, referring to the sturdy stem of the solitary leaf, from which the flower stalks grow to bring forth those petite blossoms, singly or in great numbers, according to their natural habits. Pleurothallis plants can be diminutive, growing like moss on a tree trunk or they can be over 30cm tall.
 Pleurothallis sp. |
Most of these plants are of fairly easy culture. It is advisable however, to try and find out from where your plant comes. This is not so important when you grow hybrids. In nature, these species are distributed through such a vast area that there are many different micro climates to consider. Mainly, Pleurothallis would need to be kept semi-shady, moderately cool and quite moist (rainwater!) throughout the year; they do not require a rest period. If they have to be divided, it may take some hostile little plant two years to forgive you! Pleurothallis do quite well when mounted but then they must receive regular and frequent watering – they must never dry out.
The flowers of these mini orchids are often very attractive and have intriguing details – to be admired with a magnifying glass. Their colours range from white through translucent green, yellow, orange, pink, red to lavender and purple. Some of the species I have found interesting are: P. amparoana, having flowers like little bowls with half-open lids, all fuzzy, white and sweetly scented. P. cypripeoides shows a similar flower in red. P. niveo-globula has a single, tiny, snow-white bell growing from the centre of its leaf and it keeps sending one little snowball after another from the same stem – one at a time. P. pterophera gets many white, fragrant blossoms on each stem; it is also called the “Lily of the Valley Orchid”. P. ophiocephala has interesting dark red and purple flowers but is rather foul-smelling, as is P. tribuloides, the tiny red “Crab Claw Orchid”. P. schiedei has very small, dark red striped flowers with long waxy fringes on its petals, which tremble in the slightest breeze.
You will have to do some searching to find the orchids that particularly interest you. There may also be problems with these orchids’ names because even though the first plants in this genus were described 1813 by Mr. Robert Brown (1773 – 1858), their great numbers have not yet been sorted clearly. But be assured, under whatever name you find them, the little Pleurothallis orchids will reward you with their petite charm.
Ingrid Schmidt-Ostrander - Canadian Orchid Congress