Bulbophyllum saltatorium Lindl. 1837 SECTION Lupulina Photo by © Pieter C. Brouwer and his Nature Photo Website

Another Inflorescence Photo courtesy Jay Pfahl

Another Flower Photo courtesy of Jean Marie Vanderwinden

Common Name The Dancing Bulbophyllum

Flower Size 3/4" [1.9 cm]

Found in Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Siera Leone, Cameroon, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gulf of Guinea Islands, Central African Republic, Zaire, Rwanda, Angola and Uganda as a miniature sized, hot growing epiphyte in lowland forests below 900 meters with orbicular to ovoid pseudobulbs carrying a single, apical, elliptic to lanceolate, thick and leathery leaf that blooms on a pendulous, 1 to 33" [2.5 to 82.5 cm] long, few to many flowered raceme with simultaneously opening flowers occuring in the winter.

Very similar to Bulbophyllum barbigerum in plant and flowers. This species grows in hot temperatures and needs a moisture holding medium, high humidity, partial shade and good air circulation.

This species and Bulbophyllum tremulum are quite similar, but the differentiation is the linear, glabrous petals of this species versus the elliptic-ovate, ciliate petals of B tremulum.

Synonyms Bulbophyllum alinae Szlach. 2001; Bulbophyllum calamarium Lindl. 1848; Bulbophyllum kindtianum De Wild. 1904; Bulbophyllum nudiscapum Rolfe 1909; Bulbophyllum rupincolum Rchb.f. 1865; Bulbophyllum saltatorium var. calamarium (Lindl.) J.J.Verm. 1986; Bulbophyllum schinzianum Kraenzl. ex De Wild. & T. Durand 1862; Bulbophyllum schinzianum var. phaeopogon (Schltr.) J.J.Verm. 1986; Phyllorchis calamaria (Lindl.) Kuntze 1891; Phyllorchis saltatoria (Lindl.) Kuntze 1891

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965; Flora of Tropical East Africa Orchidaceae Part 2 Cribb 1984 as B distans; Orchid Monographs Vol 2 - A Taxonomic Revision of the Continental African Bulbophyllinae Vermeullen 1987 photo/drawing fide; African Orchids In the Wild and Cultivation La Croix 1997;

Bulbophyllum saltatorium Lindl. 1837 var albociliatum [Finet] J.J.Vermeulen 1986 Photo courtesy of Guy Ramette Vovan and His Orchids Of Gabon Website

Flower Closeup

Flower Closeup Another Angle Photos Kjell Nilsson

This plant is larger in all aspects - leaves, pseudobulbs, inflorescence and flowers. It also has the flowers more towards the apex of the inflorescence and is found in West Central Africa at elevations of 750 meters.

Synonyms *Bulbophyllum calamarium var. albociliatum. Finet 1911; Bulbophyllum distans Lindley 1862; Bulbophyllum finetii Szlach. & Olszewski 2001; Bulbophyllum flexiliscapum Summerh. 1956; Bulbophyllum graciliscapum Summerh. 1953 publ. 1954; Bulbophyllum mildbraedii Kraenzl. 1909; Phyllorchis distans (Lindl.) Kuntze 1891

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