Bulbophyllum barbigerum Lindley 1837 SECTION Ptiloglossum Lindley 1862 Photo courtesy of Jay Pfahl

Plant and Inflorescence Photo courtesy of Guy Ramette Vovan and His Orchids Of Gabon Website

Flower Closeup Photo courtesy of Patricia Harding

to EARLY

Common Name The Bearded Bulbophyllum

Flower Size 1" [2.5 cm]

I've been told that in the 1700's this plant was put forward as a missing link between plant and animal, it moves, wiggles, jerks and bobs. Looks as if it could talk. It comes from central west Africa as an epiphyte on mossy tree trunks and in crowns of trees in evergreen and deciduous forests up to elevations of 900 meters as a hot growing, unifoliate epiphyte with orbicular or ovoid, somewhat flattened pseudobulbs carrying a single, apical, narrowly elliptic, emarginate leaf that blooms in the spring and early summer on a basal, 3 to 7 3/4" [7.5 to 19 cm] long, racemose, spreading or erect inflorescence with ovate bracts and several to many foul smelling, hairy flowers.

Synonyms Phyllorchis barbigera (Lindl.) Kuntze 1891

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; AOS Bulletin Vol 70 No 10 2001 photo; Bulbophyllums and Their Allies Seigerist 2001; Manual of Orchids Stewart 1995; Botanica's Orchids Laurel Glen 2001; African Orchids in the Wild and Cultivation La Croix 1997; Orchids of Malaya Holtum 1953; An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Orchids Pridgeon 1982; Manual of Cultivated Orchids Bechtel, Cribb and Laurent 1982; Miniature Orchids Northen 1980