Paphinia cristata

Its beautiful star-shaped flowers with typically pointed tepals make this genus (4 species ) very interesting for cultivation . The narrow ,oval pseudobulbs of P. cristata are barely 1.6 in/4 cm tall and each bears a couple of leaves reaching lengths of 6 in/15 cm . The delicate ,almost transparent flowers are whitish with brownish spots or stripes . The end of the lip sports curious protuberances . P. cristata should be cultivated epiphytically and provide with ample watering during the vegetation period . The flowers appear irregularly between the fall and spring . The plant grows over a vast South American area including Colombia ,Venezuela,Guiana and also Bolivia ,where the photo was taken .