This small orchid can be admired in the eastern Glasshouse corridor.
The orchid family (Orchidaceae) is the largest plant family, containing over 800 genera and an estimated 28,000 species. The family occurs in every continent except Antarctica, in a diversity of habitats, including mountainous, semi-desert, wetland and tropical zones. Species are either terrestrial (growing on the ground in soil), or epiphytic (growing on a host plant without soil, and obtaining nutrients and moisture from the air and debris around them). The genus Maxillaria occurs in Central and South America, and is estimated to contain 650 species which are found from sea level to 3,000m in altitude. Members of the genus vary greatly in their habit and cultivation requirements. Species have slender, grass-like foliage and flowers ranging from white, to yellow, to deep red, and the blooms are borne either individually or in a scape. Single flowers can be up to 12cm across. Maxillaria kautskyi is an epiphytic orchid endemic to south eastern Brazil, where it grows in seasonally dry tropical zones. It is a small, delicate species whose fragrant flowers are up to 2cm across.