Anoectochilus papillosus

Anoectochilus papillosus is a small jewel orchid from North Vietnam. It was only described as a new species in 2007 and is primarily characterized by its unusual flowers. It grows in very shady spots, usually directly on moist rocks (lithophytic). It reaches a height of only about 5 to 10 cm (excluding the flower stalk), with leaves 3 to 5 cm in size. The leaves have a brown, sometimes even almost black, base color and fine, strikingly pink to white glittering leaf veins. The pattern is somewhat more subtle and finer than in other jewel orchids. This provides excellent camouflage on the forest floor.

The leaves are arranged spirally on the individual shoots, and once they reach a certain size, an inflorescence emerges from their center, which can reach up to 12 cm in height. The flowers are quite large (for a jewel orchid), white, and have so-called papillae on the dorsal petal. The flower stalk is more compact than in other jewel orchids and only grows about 8 to 12 cm tall. After flowering, the shoot from which the inflorescence grew slowly dies back, but produces numerous runners that in turn grow to blooming size. Through this cycle, dense mats form from a single plant over time, which looks absolutely stunning in a terrarium.

You will receive a vigorous, flowering plant in a 5cm round pot or a 7cm square pot.