Promenaea xanthina 'Botanica'

Promenaea is a relatively unknown genus of orchids from Brazil.  The different species in the genus are all small, produce large flowers for the size of the plant and require cooler temperatures, high humidity and good air movement.  Promenaea xanthina is the best-known species in the genus and the most readily available.  It has 5 cm flowers on an 8 cm plant and blooms prolifically when happy.

Promenaea xanthina

All the Promenaea species are miniatures and all are from Brazil.  They are small plants with large flowers and worth growing if one can provide cooler temperatures and good humidity.  One of the more brightly colored species is Promenaea xanthina with its beautiful yellow flowers.  The plant is only 6-8 cm tall with small flattened pseudobulbs and soft, pale green foliage.  The flowers are 4-5 cm in size and make a good display if happy.

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Promenaea xanthina

Promenaea xanthina is small species from Brazil that belong to a small genus of similar-looking plants. This plant is only 6-8 cm tall with small flattened pseudobulbs and soft, pale green foliage. The plant prefers cool temepratures, good humidity, a lot of moisture and lower light and when happy produces an abundance of flowers in the late spring and early summer. The flowers are 4-5 cm in size and make a good display.

Promenaea xanthina 'Botanica'

Promenaea xanthina is a miniature orchid from Brazil that produces an abundance of lovely yellow flowers when well grown.  It belongs to a genus of about fourteen species, all from Brazil.  The plant have angled pseudobulbs and soft greyish-green leaves, two per pseudobulb.  The flowers are produced from the base of the pseudobulbs and the plants generally prefer cool temperatures.

My plant of this species is 8-10 cm tall and the flowers are 5 cm in size, a bright clear yellow with some spotting at the base of the lip and column.  They open widely and have a very typical "orchid" shape.  My plant blooms in early summer and is grown in a plastic net pot and live sphagnum and seem to bloom best when the plant is undisturbed and beginning to overflow its pot.