Summer is the time when Masdevallia pyxis can be relied upon to be in flower. This is a small sized Masdevallia native to Peru that grows in cool forest around 2300m altitude where it grows as an epiphyte of lithophyte. It has thick rounded leaves and the flowers are produced in profusion on stems much […]

Our orchid project students were the stars earlier in the week working with Dr David Roberts from Kent University, but today it this South American orchid species that is the star. Odontoglossum multistellare certainly lives up to its name and every summer produces branched spikes of attractive, star shaped, flowers, and a small plant produces […]

  We have another Brazilian Stelis species to follow Stelis thermophylla. A miniature species with a big impact. The plant shown is in a 10cm basket and leaves up to 5cm. the flower spikes are 10cm long with 20 flowers each. Stelis itatiayae is native to the forests that follow the East Coast of Brazil […]

We have had a wonderful day in the Mendip Orchid Labs today where we have been joined by Dr David Roberts from Kent University. Dr Roberts has been working with Orchid Project students since 2004, both in his previous role at Kew and his current role leading the Wildlife Conservation Degree at Kent University, and […]

Our star orchid this week is our specimen plant of Stelis thermophyla. This stunning stelis is a small growing floriferous species from Brazil. Every summer plants are smothered in delicate pinky brown flowers in charming upright spikes. Stelis thermophila is native to coastal forests in Brazil where it grows in warm wet forests at lower […]