Pleurothallis is a vast genus, a taxonomist’s dream (or possibly a nightmare) constantly evolving.
Consequently, Pleurothallis does not have a simple description, as it’s a large genus that includes species ranging from tiny to very large, terrestrial to epiphytic, creeping to clumping, with thin or thick leaves, upright to pendulous.
The blossoms can have a delicate or thick structure; cymes can be single or multi-flowered, very long to short. Currently, more than 1000 species[1] of flowering plants are described.
Pleurothallis is a genus of Orchidaceae (orchids) native to America’s temperate and tropical regions. Several species are called bonnet orchids and are cultivated for their showy hooded flowers.
Others, such as Pleurothallis rowleei and Pleurothallis leptottifolia, are tiny plants grown as novelties due to their small size. The plants are of very different sizes.
The flowers can be individual or on a short spike and are predominantly hues of yellows combined with brown, green, red, deep purple, or white. The widow orchid (P. macrophylla) is deep dark purple in color.
