Dilomilis montana, Greater Antillies endemic

[Ricardo in PR]

This lovely orchid is found wild on the upper reaches of the mountains of El Yunque rainforest in Puerto Rico. This species in not currently in cultivation or available commercially. To enjoy it you have to trek into the rain forest and search for it. If you ever come across it please don't collect it, its not allowed inside the preserves where most of these plants survive. I have no reports of this plant surviving in captivity. All five or six species of this genus are confined to the Greater Antillies. Its common name in English is the parrot beak orchid.

[Marci in SoFL]

How interesting! Thank you, Ricardo.

[Ricardo in PR]

Hopefully in 2010 I will be able to find a plant in bloom to take a better photo. The opressive, high humidity. constant rain and rugged terrain in this plant habitat is not good for digital equipment and rarely allows for carefully set macro photography.

[raybark]

VERY cool!

About how large is the flower and the plant?

[Ricardo in PR]

The plant is small, most I have seen are between eight inches and one foot tall. The out of bloom plant looks like an scrawny Epidendrum secundum. The flowers are roughly about an inch across and are produced tree to five at a time in the plants I have come across. The flowers are cupped. Supposedly it is relatively common in its habitat but its non descript appareance out of bloom makes it hard to find.

[Greenpaph]

Thanks for sharing!