mendocella-burkei

A member of a small (11 species ) genus that contains medium -sized New world epiphytes with gorgeous flowers.M. burkei has 2.4 in /6 -cm -tall elongated pseudobulbs ended with two belt-shaped leaves that reach lengths of 14 in/35 cm. As with the closely related genus Zygopetalum,the lateral parts of the new pseudobulbs give rise to a flower spike that is up to 8 in/20 cm tall and bears 3-5 showy flowers ,2.8 in/7 cm across . The forward -bent , broad lip is cream-white with a pinkish -red base;the other tepals are greenish with a decorative brown marking . The plant can be grown either epiphytically or in a permeable epiphytic mix . The flowers appear in the winter and early spring .M.burkei comes from Venezuela and Colombia.