I have two lovely Maxillaria variabilis in bloom right now. This species vary quite a bit in color, just like the name suggests. I got the red form from Orchids & More a few years ago, and the yellow form in a trade with a friend just this fall. There are more differences than color though… the red one has a shorter lip and perhaps the sepals are a bit more narrow as well. In any case… both have a very slight fragrance, you have to stick your nose directly into the flower to detect it, but it is there. A pleasant flowery scent… Lilley of the Vallye perhaps.
Is is a genus native to South America. It is a fairly small orchid with a sprawling, or bushy, growing style. Apparently it is not too fuzzy about where it grows as it has been found both as a terrestrial, litophyte and epiphyte at altitudes between 500 and 2500 meters. I grow mine on the windowsill in intermediary temperatures and medium light.
