I am so excited to tell you about the beautiful butterfly I have flying around in my greenhouse.
This is not a ordinary butterfly that you would see flying from flower to flower all summer long however.

Psychopsis species are naturally widespread from Trinidad to Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Panama.
The foliage of these species is very different from other orchids.
The leaves look like donkey ears. They are very stiff, rough in texture, and are dull red or grayish green in color.
There is a rare variety having leaves dominated by the red coloration to such extent that perhaps the best is to describe them as red with green spots.

The inflorescence can reach heights up to 150 cm tall, are jointed and round in cross section while the closely elated
P. kramerianum has a flattened flower spike.

These spikes can remain active for many years producing one flower at a time in succession, a dream of every one that grows orchids.
For many years this species was listed as Oncidium papilio and some of you still may find some a specimen with a tag that lists it as an Oncidium.

It was finally officially placed into the Psychopsis genus which was originally recommended in 1838 by Rafinesque-Schmaltz.

The spectacular flower is the reason it is called "The Butterfly Orchid." It looks like a butterfly with a large brightly colored body, very long antennae, and wings barred with yellow and rust brown. Albinistic clones having light lemon yellow flowers are also known.

When you first see one of these amazing flowers, you may not imagine any flower could look like this.

The flower is around 12.5 to 15 cm in size and is produced from the apex of the inflorescence, emerging successively from beneath the flower sheats. The bloom will last up to three weeks.

Be aware that female scale insects do like to hide beneath the flower sheats, therefore, if you have a misteriously recurring scale insect problem in your orchid collection it is expedient to check the inflorescences of your butterfly orchids as well.

When the flower dies, a new one is produced to take its place forming a permanent display.
The cultural requirements for P. papilio are quite easy as P. papilio grows in relatively dry upland forests therefore do not require an abundance of water.

You must take care of how you water this orchid because the roots are very fine and will rot very quickly if over watered. Plant them in well-drained mixes such as bark, Sphagnum moss or coconut chunks. They can also be mounted if you prefer.

Repot in the spring when you notice new growth starting.

To insure the leaves keep their pretty coloring, add calcium. If you are on a municipal water supply, there will usually be lots of calcium in the water.

Keep the temperature between 50 - 70 ºF during the day and 55 to 65 ºF at night.
Other species of Psychopsis have slightly different requirements.

These wonderful jewels of the orchid world are not hard to grow and are some of the most rewarding orchids. I hope you will try one and see how much fun having a "Butterfly" in your window can be.

Don't miss some of the hybrids, for example 'Kalihi' the hybrid of P. papilio and P. krameianum frequently seen in cultivation too - they are amazing!

The "special butterflies" discussed above belong in the Glanduligera section of the Oncidioid orchids. In Northern Venezuela there is an another member of this group, a small, in many ways unique jewel. It became known in the middle of the XIXth century, when Lindley described it for science as Oncidium limminghei E. Moren ex Lindley (1855.).
During the revision of these "special butterflies" and their closest relatives, Lückel and Braem created the new, monotypic Psychopsiella genus for it and re-named its sole member as Psychopsiella limminghei (E. Morren ex Lindley) Lückel et Braem (1982.)

Psychopsiella is the diminutive form of Psychopsis and a number of the features of this miniature miracle are indeed miniaturized features of its larger relatives. It has a creeping rhizome densely packed with small pseudobulbs carrying one leaf per growth, exhibiting the characteristic stiff, asymmetrical form of many other "mule ear" Oncidioid orchids. In this case these neatly patterned leaves are only about 1½ inches long and wide, lying appressed to the substrate. The single-flowered inflorescence emerges from the base of the new growth and the flower it carries is also about 1½ inches across.

Surprisingly enough, what is not miniature, that is the fruit of this jewel, which is as large as fruits of much larger orchids are. Point here for a full view of Psychopsiella in bloom and, simultaneously developing a fruit from a previous inflorescence.

As that can be seen on the photo, it has to be cultivated mounted - do not torture it in a pot.