We have two Cleisocentrum species and Cleisocentrum gokusingii is smaller growing and smaller flowered than Cleisocentrum merrillium (below)

Both of these remarkable orchids are endemic to Mount Kinabalu, on Borneo, where they grows in wet evergreen forest between 1000 and 2000m. The species both have striking greyish, blue flowers with a purple stripe at the top of the spur and field observations show that the flowers are ant pollinated which explains the clustered flowers on very short spikes.

The close up of gokusingii above shows the delightful little flowers – I would be very attracted if I was an ant from Mt Kinabalu!

We grow the species in small baskets from which the plants grow in a relaxed upright fashion. Plants seem very at home in our Warm Asia section with a minimum of 17C with some shade, throughout the year, amongst other species native to the amazing forests of Kinabalu.

We have some fat seedpods on Cleisocentrum merrellium and will pollinate Cleicocentrum gokusingii tomorrow – fingers crossed for seedlings out of flask in two years.