Kefersteinia gramineaThis is my first Kefersteinia, but it won’t be the last, and it is blooming now just in time for the new year. One must appreciate a lady with impeccable timing and it sure is a lovely species to ring in the new year with. Here’s to a fantastic 2012!!

I was really happy when I saw the flower spike forming on this one late summer, but almost started to worry when the bud took several months to develop. Now that is has opened, it was well worth the wait however! I can see why some people get quite besotted with them. I rather like the beautiful fan-shaped leaves and the large thinly textured flowers with all that feminine detail arranged in complex folds and patterns on an arching to pendulous inflorescence. Near perfection I would say. Each inflorescence can produce up to three flowers, each measuring about 5 cm across, I got one for starters but I am certainly not complaining. Besides, there is one more spike on the way. Even though the flower looks like it would boast some seductive fragrance, it has no detectable scent.

Kefersteinia graminea is a medium sized warm to cool growing epiphyte from South America. The Kefersteinia genus belong to the Zygopetalinae subtribe, and I can definitely see some resemblance in the flowers, especially the lip, to some of the Zygopetalum I used to grow in California many years ago. This genus is reputed to be a little difficult to grow, so I am very happy to add it to my list of successes. I got this one from Ecuagenera in May and it has been growing well, mounted on EpiWeb in the cool vivarium on the wetter side of the viv. under medium/low light, high humidity and good air movement.

Kefersteinia graminea (Lindl.) Rchb.f., Bot. Zeitung (Berlin) 10: 634 (1852).

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