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Have a look at Pleurothallis minuta

This is the smallest orchid species in my collection with leaves to about 1" long and yellow/red blooms up to about 1/16th of an inch!

pleurothallisminuta.jpg

pleurothallisminuta1.jpg


I grow it on a stick and it grows quickly flowers continuously when I remember to water and feed it often (as evidenced by the spent flower stalks). If I don't remember to water it very often due to other concerns the leaves are very thick and succulent and it weathers dry spells easily, quickly resuming active growth and blooming when I start to water it again. The more water and food it gets the faster it grows and more it blooms.

To propagate it I simply pluck a strand of rhizome with a few leaves and roots on it and tie it gently to a piece of bark or another stick with some moss on it to conserve moisture. In a few months it will establish and begin colonizing it's new mount and start to flower as each growth matures. A great LITTLE, easy species in Highland conditions! I have found it doesn't grow as fast in a pot and the rhizomes tend to rot.
 
Very nice.  It should be reassuring to  my Pleuro tribuloides, which sometimes feels inadequate because of its 1 1/4" leaves and 3/16" flowers.  This is the only Pleuro I have anymore because it is a cool to hot growing plant, a rarity in that genus, and it has succulent leaves too for those months of low humidity in winter.
 
Got any pics of your plant's blooms? Why did you thin your Pleuro tribes? I change my larger plants every couple years keepingb only my real faves cos I only have limited space and want to try different things but I think I might start a little "stick" collection of different Pleuos as they don't take up much space and are pretty easy to keep happy.

I just got Porroglossum olivaceum and Pleurothallis schmintzii (sp?) on the way. The schmintzii looks like a maroon speckled somberero with white fringes dangling off it. I can't wait to see those blooms in person!
 
I don't have any digital photos, but here's one at Jay Pfahl's site - Pleurothallis tribuloides flower - and you'll see why it's sometimes called the lobster claw orchid.  This one thrives, but every other Pleuro I've had either died or left as a smaller plant than when it arrived.  My success (or lack thereof) has been the same with Draculas, Madsies, Restrepias, and anything else from South American cloud forests.  It's too bad because those are the coolest orchids in my opinion.

That stick collection idea is a great idea and will be impressive.  Do you have any Tolumnias?  They're a great choice for an intermediate to hot growing stick collection.
 
cool looking Pleuro, it would do nice in one of my dart tanks, will be on the look out for that one. ive got a pleuro blooming in one of my dart tanks, will have to get a pic of it
 
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