Cleisostoma arietinum

Suzanne Maggioni and Crystal Shuptrine are researching the orchid species Cleisostoma arietinum. This species is epiphytic and grows best when exposed to bright or full light and at an altitude of between 500 and 600 meters. It grows in a range of hot to cool temperatures, but its preferred habitat is localized to tropical environments. As such, it is no surprise that it is primarily found in southeast Asia (northeast India, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Malaysia, and Vietnam). C. arietinum is a short-stemmed plant that grows only to about six inches tall. The leaves are arranged in two vertical rows on opposite sides of the stem (distichous) and are cylindrical and fleshy, with a slight tapering at the ends (terete). It produces inflorescences that branch off and can reach around four inches in length that contain many small flowers. The flowers themselves are about ¼ inch in size and bloom in the Spring.

Taxonomy:
Order: Orchidales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Epidendroideae
Tribe: Vandeae
Subtribe: Aeridinae

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References:

http://www.orchidspecies.com/cleisosarientinum.htm
http://orchids.la.coocan.jp/Cleisostoma/Cleisostoma%20arietinum/Cleisostoma%20arietinum.htm

Photo References:
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/yTEVwNaXVX5jtXWYUkCC2w