Neobenthamia gracilis (The graceful Neobenthamia)

[Bud]

This terrestrial orchid specie with upright grass/reed like leaves, white petals, and red spots near the base flowers found growing on dry rock faces and mossy ledges in Tanzania at elevations of 380 to 2000 meters.
I grow this in Cymbidium mix with full sun all year round a couple of inches away from the glass on the south side facing window sill and water approximately once a week with weekly weakly fertilizer alternated with seaweed mix. This plant can also be mounted. I reduce watering during the winter to every other week.
This is forming keikis at the nodes that prompts me to spray the leaves in the mornings.
This flower clusters like pom-poms but I must have over-rested this winter that it dehydrated. I hope to get this flower to correctly bloom in form since I have started to feed it and resumed its watering regimen. The flowers are fragrant like berries and can last longer similar to Epidendrum radicans. I read that this can be pollinated by ants and small insects.
This is a single species of the genus. This orchid is named in honor of George Bentham a British botanist.

[Bud]

additional photo:

[WhiteRabbit]

Lovely!

[Bud]

Thank You, Sonya !

[Bud]

This orchid plant is endemic to Tanzania that blooms from winter to spring with a cluster of 1.5 inches wide flowers (this bloomed last winter and then early this fall). Flowers are fragrant that smells like blueberries. I am growing this in medium bark, charcoal, sponge rock and shards; with bright full sun out in the fire escape in the summer and on the south facing window sill in winter. This orchid plant is intermediate to warm growing and I water this approximately once a week. I lessen water to every other week in winter up to Valentine’s Day then as I see new keikis I resume the water and fertilizer regimen. Notice that the early blooms blasted and only a few opened its blooms but this time around the pom-pom like flowers and the keikis have a more pronounced growth….I got more vivid colors and luscious flowers this time.

[WhiteRabbit]

Awesome!

[ronaldhanko]

Wow! Great flowers and plant!

[samarak]

Very nice, Bud, and great pictures too! I've never seen it in person, so didn't know it's fragrant. I grow a few other Polystachia species but the habit on this one looks very different. I'll be keeping an eye out for it.

Steve

[Paul]

Attractive flowers. Can't see myself ever growing it, however. Sucker is WAY too big for my space. L)

[Bud]

Originally Posted by WhiteRabbit

Awesome!

Thank You, Sonya !

---------- Post added at 03:04 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:03 PM ----------

Originally Posted by ronaldhanko

Wow! Great flowers and plant!

Thank You, Ron !

---------- Post added at 03:06 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:04 PM ----------

Originally Posted by samarak

Very nice, Bud, and great pictures too! I've never seen it in person, so didn't know it's fragrant. I grow a few other Polystachia species but the habit on this one looks very different. I'll be keeping an eye out for it.

Steve

Thank You, Steve !

* I was able to get this two years ago from 'Orchids By Eli' via Ebay. He is an orchid grower from Puerto Rico.

---------- Post added at 03:08 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:06 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Paul

Attractive flowers. Can't see myself ever growing it, however. Sucker is WAY too big for my space. L)

Thank You, Paul !

This plant can grow like grass, but if you pare down the keikis it slims down the growth to upright position. The tallest it can get is two feet.