fairy orchid
Nidema ottonis (Rchb.f.) Britton & Millsp.
Fairy orchid grows above the ground as an epiphyte. A Brazilian field study found several plants on tall Aldina heterophylla trees, demonstrating how a small orchid can inhabit a much larger tree’s branches. That collection, made in 2014, documented the species in Amazonas after an earlier Brazilian record from Acre. Krahl et al. (2014), Nidema ottonis: confirmation in Brazil and first record for Amazonas
Botanical name
Kew accepts Nidema ottonis (Rchb.f.) Britton & Millsp., matching the catalog’s species and authorship. Kew POWO: Nidema ottonis
Recognizing the plant
The plants form clumps with thick, whitish roots and a short cylindrical rhizome. Each green pseudobulb is slightly flattened and bears a single narrow leaf, folded lengthwise and ending in a sharp tip. Upright flowering shoots arise from the top of the pseudobulb and carry a few white blossoms among brownish bracts. The sepals are narrow and pointed; the smaller petals curve, while the lip has a central groove. Four pollen masses are housed in the flower’s column. Krahl et al. (2014), Nidema ottonis: confirmation in Brazil and first record for Amazonas
Native range
Kew places its native distribution across tropical America, primarily in wet tropical environments. The Brazilian study records it from the West Indies and mainland areas between Honduras, Guyana and Bolivia, with confirmed Brazilian occurrences in Acre and Amazonas. Kew POWO: Nidema ottonisKrahl et al. (2014), Nidema ottonis: confirmation in Brazil and first record for Amazonas
Botanical sources
- Kew POWO: Nidema ottonis
- Krahl et al. (2014), Nidema ottonis: confirmation in Brazil and first record for Amazonas
Reviewed 2026-10-11. Seasonal development varies with location and growing conditions.