This genus of orchids includes species with an impressive appearance, leafless at least during part of their growth and development, with plants looking like root masses loaded with flower stems during the flowering period, which justifies the popular name “ghost orchid.”
From a systematic point of view, the genus Chiloschista, described by the renowned English botanist and orchidologist John Lindley in 1832, belongs to the tribe Vandeae, subtribe Sarcanthinae, and derives its name from ancient Greek, where “cheilos” means labellum, and “schistos” means divided, indicating that species of the genus are distinguished by the presence of a divided labellum. The genus Chiloschista is closely related to the genus Sarcochilus but differs in that Chiloschista species periodically lose their leaves and have differences in labellum anatomy.
In reality, some species belonging to this genus produce leaves, but these are lost in the early stages of development.
In general appearance, the plants present as compact, massive root masses emerging from a compact central axis represented by the stem. When leaves are present, they emerge from this central axis, measuring 2.5 – 5 cm in length and 1 cm in width, but these are lost by the plants before the flowering season. The inflorescences are usually grouped on pendulous stems that can have few to very many small flowers, with a captivating appearance and colors ranging from creamy white to greenish and dark reddish brown. Currently, 19 species belonging to the genus Chiloschista are known, the most well-known in horticultural trade being Chiloschista lunifera, C. usneoides, C. viridiflava, C. trudelii, C. exuperei, and C. parishii.
The geographic distribution of the genus covers Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and adjacent areas in Southeast Asia. Cultural requirements for species in this genus require special attention to minimum temperature values, which must never fall below 15–18 ℃, although the species prefer high temperatures up to or above 30 ℃, resembling Vanda species, to which they are related, or Cattleya species. Being species that love high humidity levels above 70%, for which frequent watering is recommended while allowing roots to dry before the next watering, it is understood that ventilation must be intense to prevent the development of fungal and bacterial diseases. It is preferable to water in the early part of the day to avoid water stagnation during the night when temperatures drop.
Light radiation values should be in the upper range, 15,000–35,000 lux, similar to Vanda, Cattleya, and Oncidium species, but direct light should be avoided (60–70% shading), as it can cause burns on the roots.
For fertilization, which will be applied frequently but diluted to 10–25% of the concentrations recommended by manufacturers, a balanced fertilizer with a 1–1–1 formula is preferred. Chiloschista species tolerate repotting very poorly; therefore, it is advisable not to divide plants grown on plastic, ceramic, wood, bark, or cork plaques. Plants grown for vegetative propagation will not be mounted but simply placed on a plastic support. It is NOT recommended to place them on sphagnum moss substrate, as moisture stagnation in the root area easily leads to plant loss due to fungal and bacterial diseases.
Due to the particularity of the species in this genus, which compensate for the lack of leaves by performing photosynthesis at the root tissue level, it is necessary for the roots to always remain bare, uncovered, and have access to light. This aspect indicates the impossibility of growing these species in pots. It is preferable to position them on smooth substrates, favored over rough surfaces that can cause damage to the velamen layer. Repositioning or relocating specimens is recommended only during the initiation of new root growth, which will allow attachment to a new support.
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