Maxillaria porphyrostele

An epiphytic, evergreen orchid producing a clump of small, round or egg-shaped pseudobulbs. Each pseudobulb carries two narrow, leathery, linear leaves up to 40cm long and 0.5cm wide. In late autumn and winter, flowering stems emerge from the base of the pseudobulbs. Each stem up to 15cm long carries single, fragrant flowers. Long-lasting flowers are approximately 4cm across, yellow with white lip and purple or maroon-striped throat. Mature plants grown in optimal conditions often produce large numbers of flowering stems, flowering simultaneuosly amidst the leaves