Corybas pictus in flower

[Pascal B]

One of my favourite orchid genera, unfortunately only about 5-6 species are available to collectors as they are rare in the wild and because of their size also hard to find. I have tried 3 times to locate the Taiwanese red-flowered C. sinii during fieldtrips but failed each time......
They are not the easiest to grow but very rewarding.

[Maggi Young]

What an extraordinary liitle plant.... looks like a magical creature from the deep seas! 

[Peter Maguire]

Beutiful little plant Pascal.

That's an interesting topdressing - what is it. (I assume that you are not using vermicelli or another very thin pasta from the kitchen cupboard)

[Pascal B]

Peter, that is just spaghnum moss, because I grow them in a very high air humidity they sometimes produce hair roots on the stem above the compost so I have to protect these roots. If I wouldn't grow them in an high air humidity it would abort the flower. They are in a fine grade vermiculite-very fine bark-shredded sphagnum mix. Only problem with vermiculite is that it is hard to find the new little, 6 mm diameter tubers that are produced on runners because they are also white.....

For size relevance see this picture taken by the head of the glasshouses of Leiden Botanic Garden: http://www.pbase.com/rogiervanvugt/image/108799418

PS. It got a bit too much light, they should be grown in a more shaded place ideally.....

[angie]

Isn't that so cute.

Angie

[fredg]

Pascal, is it Perlite you're growing it in?
Vermiculite here is usually brown and tends to go slimy.

[Pascal B]

Pascal, is it Perlite you're growing it in?
Vermiculite here is usually brown and tends to go slimy.

Fred, my bad...., you are right, I meant perlite...

I only use vermiculite to store my Arisaema in during the winter.