Bulbophyllum medusae [Lindley]Rchb.f 1861 SECTION Desmosanthes [Bl.] J.J. Sm. 1933

Photo by Jay Pfahl

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Common Name Medusa's Bulbophyllum [Mythological Gorgon with a head of snakes]

Flower Size 6" Long [15 cm]

Found in Thailand, Malaysia, Borneo, Lesser Sunda Islands and Sumatra in lowland forests at elevations of sealevel to 400 meters on trunks and main branches of trees as a small sized, hot growing epiphyte with pseudobulbs carrying a single, apical leaf that blooms in the fall and winter on a to 8" [20 cm] long, erect, bracteate inflorescence arising from a newly forming pseudobulb, with a umbellate, fragrant albeit bad, flower held just beyond leaf height.

Looks like fireworks at the 4th of July. This species grows well in baskets or pots with hot temperatures, partial shade, regular water and fertilizer and good air circulation.

Synonyms *Cirrhopetalum medusae Lindley 1842; Phyllorchis medusae [Lindley] O. Ktze. 1891

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Die Orchideen Schlechter 1915 as Cirrhopetalum medusae photo fide; Flora of Malaya Vol 1 Holtum 1953; AOS Bulletin Vol 27 No 7 1958 drawing fide; The Orchids of Thailand Seidenfaden & Smitinand 1961 drawing, photo fide; AOS Orchid Culture 1963 photo fide; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965; AOS Bulletin Vol 36 No 6 1967 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 39 No 9 1970 as Cirrhopetalum medusae photo fide; Notes on Cirrhopetalum Seidenfaden 1973 drawing fide; Dansk Botanisk Arkiv Bind 33 #3 Orchid Genera in Thailand VIII Bulbophyllum Thou Seidenfaden 1979 drawing fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 50 No 9 1981 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 52 No 4 1983 photo fide; Die Orchideen lieferung 13 753 - 816 Bulbophyllinae Brieger 1983 as Cirrhopetalum medusae photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 56 No 12 1987 photo fide; The Orchids of the Solomon Islands and Bougainville Lewis & Cribb 1991; Orchids of Borneo Vol 2 Vermeullen 1991 drawing/photo fide; Orchids of Penninsular Malaysia and Singapore Seidenfadden and Wood 1992 drawing fide; The Manual of Cultivated Orchids Bechtel, Cribb, Laurent 1992 photo fide; An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Orchids Pridgeon 1992 photo fide; Thai Orchid Species Rakpaibulsombat 1992 as Cirrhopetalum medusae photo fide; A Checklist of the Orchids of Borneo Wood & Cribb 1994; Manual of Orchids Stewart 1995; Living with Orchids in Sumatra Landau 1996 photo fide; Orchids Australia Vol 10 No 5 1998 photo; AOS Bulletin Vol 68 No 5 1999 photo fide; A to Z of SE Asian Orchids O'Byrne 2000 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 70 No 10 2001 photo fide; A Field Guide to the Wild Orchids of Thailand Vaddhanaphuti 2001 photo fide; Bulbophyllums and Their Allies Seigerist 2001 photo fide; Botanica's Orchids Laurel Glen 2001; Orchids of Sumatra Comber 2001 photo fide; Orchids of Sarawak Beeman & Wood 2001 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 73 No 11 2004 photo fide; A field Guide to the Wild Orchids of Thailand Vaddhanaphuti 2005 photo fide; The World's Most Beautiful Orchids Allikas & Nash 2005 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 75 No 6 2006 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 75 No 7 2006 photo; Bulbophyllum: the incomplete Guide From A to why? Bill Thoms 2009 photo fide; Wild Orchids of Penninsular Malaysia Ong, O'Byrne, Yong & Saw 2011 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 81 #10 2012 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 77 #1 2013 photo fide; Bulbophyllum of Borneo J J Verm, P O'Byrne and Lamb 2015 photos/drawing fide; Of Men and Orchids Part 1 2015 drawing/photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 80 #1 2016 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 86 #2 2017 drawing fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 88 #10 2019 drawing fide;

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