Dinema orchids

Dinema is a very small New World genus, with Dinema polybulbon the primary species in cultivation. Kew's current treatment accepts Dinema as a genus of its own with Dinema polybulbon as its only species; older treatments placed the plant in Encyclia or Epidendrum, and catalogues still list it under any of those names. The plant is a compact miniature epiphyte native to Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, producing small round pseudobulbs topped with two narrow leaves. Flower spikes emerge between the leaves bearing single yellow-and-cream starry blooms with a distinctive brown-striped lip.

Dinema polybulbon has a creeping rhizome that produces new pseudobulbs at intervals along its length, rather than clumping tightly. This gives the plant an appealing spreading habit well suited to mount culture, where it can colonise a slab of cork over time.

General care for the genus (species, hybrids and cultivars vary, so check with the grower for a specific plant): intermediate temperatures (nights 12 to 16 °C), medium to bright indirect light (1,800 to 2,500 footcandles), regular watering during growth with drying between, 50 to 65 percent humidity. Ideal for mount culture on cork or tree fern slabs; alternatively small pots with medium-fine bark.

Dinema polybulbon (also listed as Encyclia polybulbon or Epidendrum polybulbon) is the sole species. Listings below come from the nurseries we index, most of them re-checked nightly; prices are shown in USD.