Orchid Species: Ptilocnema bracteata

ORIGIN: Found in central China and Tibet, Assam, Bangladesh, eastern Himalayas, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, western Himalayas, Andaman Islands, Nicobar Islands, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Laos, Vietnam, Borneo, Java, Lesser Sunda Islands, Sumatra, Moluccas, Sulawesi, the Philippines, New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Fiji, New Caledonia, Santa Cruz, Vanuatu and Queensland Australia in evergreen lowland forests on rock outcrops along streams and rivers as a small to medium sized, cool to hot growing epiphyte and lithophyte at elevations of sea-level to 1700 meters in filtered light.

DESCRIPTION: A small to medium sized, cool to hot growing epiphyte and lithophyte at elevations of sea-level to 1700 meters in filtered light with clustered, conical, angular, wrinkled or sunken, dull pale green to dull brown pseudobulbs carrying a single, apical, sub-plicate, ovate-oblong to linear-lanceolate, coriaceous, prominently veined, gradually narrowing into the pseudo-petiolate base, dark green leaf with a lighter underside that can have red spots and blooms with a terminal, smooth, terete, erect-arcuate then drooping, 20 [50 cm] long, racemose inflorescence that has a zigzag, flexuous rachis with large concave bracts carrying up to 50 fragrant flowers that spiral around the inflorescence arising from papery floral bracts and occurring on a developing pseudobulb.

FLOWER SIZE: To 1/2 inch [1.25 cm] -- information provided by Jay Pfahl, author of the Internet Orchid Species Encyclopedia (IOSPE).

Most awarded/recent cultivars: Pho. imbricata 'Ann' (2 awards in 2019) Pho. imbricata 'Renato Penaloza' (2015) Pho. imbricata 'Memoria Gene Dangler' (2004) Pho. imbricata 'Evets' (1978) Pho. imbricata 'Gale' (1976)