About
An epiphytic orchid endemic to Bahia, Brazil, living high in the canopy of foggy Atlantic Forest.
Care at a glance
- Pet safety
- Listed as non-toxic to cats, dogs and horses. General guidance for the genus
- People
- Not recorded.
- Light
- Bright light such as an east- or west-facing window; direct sun burns the leaves. Mid-green leaves indicate good light, dark green too little. General guidance for the genus
- Water
- Let the potting medium dry completely between waterings, then run lukewarm water through the pot until it drains. Avoid salt-softened water and water colder than 10 °C (50 °F). General guidance for the genus
- Humidity
- Above 50%; a pebble tray under the pot helps. Good air circulation is essential. General guidance for the genus
- Soil
- Coarse orchid bark (chopped fir or redwood) or an inorganic kiln-fired medium; never ordinary potting soil. General guidance for the genus
- Pot
- Repot about every two years, in spring or just before new roots appear, when the rhizome grows over the pot edge or the medium breaks down. General guidance for the genus
- Propagation
- Divide when repotting, keeping at least three healthy pseudobulbs per division; also raised from seed or tissue culture. General guidance for the genus
- Hardiness
- USDA zones 10a–12b; grown indoors or under glass elsewhere. General guidance for the genus
“General guidance for the genus” marks advice sourced for the genus as a whole rather than this species.
Field notes
Distribution & habitat
Known from an isolated mountain range near Itabuna, Bahia, in the wet Bahia coastal forests of the Atlantic Forest, at about 600 m. It grows in the upper branches of trees up to 40 m tall, where it receives fair light and near-constant fog.
History & etymology
Named after Alaor Oliveira of the University of São Paulo at Piracicaba, who first collected it on a field trip in the late 1960s; it was discovered in the 1970s.
Habitat
- Altitude
- Not recorded
- Altitude class
- —
- Native to
- Brazil
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- Not recorded
- Humidity
- Above 50%; a pebble tray under the pot helps. Good air circulation is essential.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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