This unusual species  has a long flowering period every summer. but until today I hadn’t noticed that the flower looks remarkably like a Mexican cowboy in chaps and a sombrero!!! or am I seeing things? The species is native to South and Central America and it grows long stems of overlapping short pointed leaves similar to a group of unrelated Dendrobiums for Asia.

The clusters of long lasting flowers emerge from between the leaves and several year’s stems flower together. (they still look like Mexican cowboys)

We have seen this species growing in wet evergreen forest along rivers in Costa Rica at 1400m altitude but it can be found up to 2600m from Mexico in the north to Colombia in the South.

We grow this species mounted and in pots but mounted plants present best as the stems develop a pendulous habit over time.