Brassia aurantiaca

Brassia aurantiaca is another hummingbird pollinated orchid. 

Brassia aurantiaca has dramatic orange flowers that form a tube for the pollinating bird by only opening a little. The result is an orchid that always reminds me of flames and I am surprised that the botanist who named the species wasn't a little more creative with their name; aurantiaca just means 'orange'

The species is native to cool cloud forests of Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela and so enjoys growing cool, moist and shady in our Cloud Forest Greenhouse (min 12C) where we water it about every other day. 

Unitil recently the species was called Ada aurantiaca as most Brassia species look different since they attract spider eating wasps as their pollinator not hummingbirds. Molecular analysis has identified the close relationship. 

The flowers are relatively long lasting and always worth a closer look.