Orchid Species: Rhynchostele stellata

ORIGIN: This species is found in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama and Venezuela as a small sized, cold to cool growing, miniature epiphyte and is found on trees in cloud forests at elevations of 1700 to 3000 meters.

DESCRIPTION: This species is found in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama and Venezuela as a small sized, cold to cool growing, miniature epiphyte and is found on trees in cloud forests at elevations of 1700 to 3000 meters with ovoid-ellipsoid to cylindrical, slightly laterally compressed pseudobulbs completely enveloped basally by several sheaths that with age dry out and carrying narrowly elliptic to oblanceolate or linear-ligulate, subobtuse to acuminate, narrowed and conduplicate towards the base leaves that blooms in the spring with one or two flowers per erect, axillary, 3 to 6 [8 to 15 cm] long, racemose inflorescence with inconspiculously fragant flowers arising on mature pseudobulbs. This species has fine roots that are best potted into a fine bark medium where if given good shade and ample water to keep the plant from drying out will create a speciemen plant rapidly as several new pseudobulbs will be created each growth season. A lessening of water is nessasary in the winter months to ensure a good bloom season. This species needs shade and an indicator of too much light is a yellowing of the leaves.

FLOWER SIZE: 2 inches [4 to 5 cm] -- information provided by Jay Pfahl, author of the Internet Orchid Species Encyclopedia (IOSPE).

Most awarded/recent cultivars: Rst. stellata 'Arquelon' (2 awards in 2019) Rst. stellata 'Chi' (2 awards in 2017) Rst. stellata 'Rottmann Albert' (2015) Rst. stellata 'Euilro Castellanas' (2014) Rst. stellata 'Wyler' (2009) Rst. stellata 'Memoria Kirk Fairhurst' (2004) Lem. stellatum 'Goodstuff' (1994) Odm. stellatum 'Diamond Song' (1979) Odm. stellatum 'Fox Den' (1971)