Native to Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras.

It is an euryoec species, that is, a plant able to adapt to a wide spectrum of environmental factors: occurs from near to sea level up to 2,000 m altitude and can be found growing as an epiphyte in a wide variety of forest types.

All this translates into "easy to grow".

It is common in orchid collections - circulating under various names, quite often misidentified.

There are about ten species in the Barkeria genus dedicated to Barker, prominent English orchid grower in the XIXth Century.

Members of this genus are closely related to Epidendrum species.

Barkeria skinneri was discovered by G. U. Skinner in Guatemala. It occurs in Mexico, and El Salvador as well.

This orchid tends to grow as a twig epiphyte at times on surprisingly thin twigs.

During the growth season it needs plenty water.

In the dry rest period it may loose several leaves but that is normal.

The Ludisia genus was established by the French botanist A. Richard in 1825 but John Lindley neglected this concept and transferred this orchid to the Haemaria genus in 1840. Due to the reputation of the "Father of Orchidology" the invalid generic name is often used - even today.

There are about twenty Neotropical epiphytic orchid species in the Galeandra genus established by John Lindley in 1830. In the generic name galea (helmet in Greek) refers to the shape of the anther cap.

In nature Galeandra greenwoodiana is one of the rarest orchids. The first, single specimen discovered then described for science by Mrs. Natalie Warford was found in Nayarit State, Mexico.

The original habitat was in a pine patch, itself a curiosity in the tropical forest area. This single orchid was stumbled upon on a felled and burnt pine log and the orchid was also damaged by the fire. After the rescued plant produced its first inflorescence (shown here) and became clear that it is new to science, systematic searches in the region resulted in discovering 2 - 3 more habitats but this orchid is rare even in those locations.

As a result of careful, international propagation programme conducted in academic institutions and botanical gardens by time Galeandra greenwoodiana became available for the general public of orchid enthusiasts as well . A showy orchid indeed and not difficult to cultivate under conditions appropriate say for most of the Cattleya species and hybrids.

Sedirea japonica (L. Linden & Rchb. f.) Garay & H.R. Sweet, (1974.)

Dendrobium kingianum Bidwill (1844.)

The Sarcoglottis genus has been established in 1827 by C. Presley to include New World terrestrial orchids closely related to Spiranthes species widely distributed around the Northern Hemisphere.

Currently there are about 90 - 100 species names (!) listed in the Sarcoglottis genus. The name is derived from the Greek sarx ("flesh") and glossa ("tongue"), i. e. "fleshy-tongued", referring to the fleshy lip characterizing the members of this genus.

Sarcoglottis sceptrodes is indigenous to Mexico and Nicaragua, where it lives in the humus layers of florest floors, often near to streams.

Its life cycle is not entirely unlike to life cycles of other terrestrial, Northern Hemisphere orchids; it flowers in its natural habitats in February - March. On the twisted flower spike flowers are arranged along a spiral and their appearance is responsible for the sceptrodes ("sceptre-like") species name.