Named by Louis-Marie Aubert Du Petit-Thouars in 1822 and belonging to the tribe Dendrobieae, the Bulbophyllum genus derives its name from ancient Greek, from the words bulbos, meaning bulb, and phyllon, meaning leaf. Bulbophyllum species are closely related to those of the genus Cirrhopetalum, and together they are considered the orchid genera with the most species. Taxonomically, at least 25 related genera are known, the most common being Cirrhopetalum, Ione, Mastigion, Megaclinium, Rhytionanthos, and Trias.
With plants generally small to medium-sized, although some species can easily exceed lengths of over a meter, Bulbophyllum species have a creeping habit with sympodial growth, pseudobulbs remarkable in size compared to the flowers and leaves, which have a fleshy, waxy, leathery texture, usually bearing one, and less frequently two, apically inserted leaves.
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The flower shape is extremely variable, with sizes ranging from 2 mm to 400 mm. A common feature is the presence of an articulated labellum, which plays a role in pollination, where the labellum acts as a lever, catapulting pollinators, usually small flies, towards the pollinia and the stigma surface. The flowers generally have a short lifespan of 5–7 days but compensate for this with repeated blooming. Some species and hybrids have fragrant flowers, although their scent is not always pleasant, sometimes resembling the smell of old cheese.
Currently, it is considered that the Bulbophyllum genus includes over 2000 predominantly tropical and subtropical species, with some species also found in temperate climates. More than 25 species are present in South and Central America, reaching the Caribbean region, while most are found in equatorial Africa, Madagascar, Asia, from the foothills of the Himalayas to Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Java, Borneo, Sumatra, Sulawesi, New Guinea, Australia, and New Zealand. New Guinea is considered the center of origin for the genus, with over 600 species found on this island.
Most species of the Bulbophyllum genus prefer warm climates, with winter temperatures not dropping below 15 ℃, and daytime temperatures in the warm season ranging between 23 – 27 ℃. Good ventilation is essential and necessary for the successful cultivation of Bulbophyllum species.
The orchids Bulbophyllum and Cirrhopetalum love light, not necessarily intense, requiring slight shading of the plants and protection from direct sunlight during the summer season. Generally, light radiation values will range between 20,000 – 35,000 lux, these values clearly favoring abundant flowering.
The atmospheric humidity required for cultivation is medium, around 60%, a common characteristic for indoor growing conditions. Waterings will be frequent, as both plants mounted on plaques and those planted in pots prefer abundant water, to a greater extent than most other orchid genera. While it is usually recommended not to water, if in doubt, Bulbophyllum species are the exception to this rule in orchid cultivation.
Fertilizations should be done regularly, with every watering, weekly, but will be stopped for a month during the cold period.
Species of the Bulbophyllum genus prefer minimal mounts, either on cork plaques or bark, or in pots with small to medium-sized bark, sphagnum moss, perlite, charcoal, coconut fiber pieces, or compost. They can be divided and transplanted preferably when excessive growth outside the pots is noticed.
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