Some charming Lepanthes: MANUEL AUBRON outlines this large genus of miniature plants and chooses his top ten outstanding species to try in the glasshouse

摘要

LEPANTHES IS ONE OF the strangest orchid genera, and one of the most poorly known. The genus was established by the Swedish botanist Olaf Swartz in 1799. The type species is Lepanthes ova&, from Jamaica and Venezuela, which Swartz first described in 1788 asEpidendrum ovale. Few European growers at that time could provide suitable growing conditions for these fragile plants. In 1921, Schlechter listed 27 species of Lepanthes, all from Ecuador. Now, over 800 species are estimated to occur over a wide geographical area from Mexico to Brazil, including several Caribbean islands. Most species of Lepanthes occur in mountainous areas, at altitudes of l,200-3,600m, with the majority found in Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru.