{"product_id":"platystele-sp","title":"platystele sp.","description":"\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"0\"\u003eA Micro-Miniature Wonder With Flowers Smaller Than a Matchhead\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"1\"\u003eAmong the smallest growing orchids on Earth, this delicate Pleurothallid forms a dense, bright green mat of inch-tall leaves. It flowers continuously throughout the year, producing thread-like stems that hold tiny, semi-translucent blooms barely a few millimeters across.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"2\"\u003eEach star-shaped blossom features five pointed, pale yellow-green petals surrounding a dark crimson lip at the center. Despite their microscopic size, the individual blooms hold open for weeks in high humidity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"3\"\u003eFor collectors who measure plant real estate in square inches, this micro-miniature offers maximum character without demanding space. You can house a flourishing specimen inside an upturned glass jar or a tiny terrarium corner, where its endless flush of microscopic blooms rewards anyone willing to pull out a hand lens for a closer look. The flowers spread out from the stem like a tiny glass star, perfectly formed right down to the microscopic center. It proves that the orchid family keeps its best secrets strictly in miniature.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"4\"\u003eThe Story of Platystele sp.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"5\" id=\"p-rc_c215f5f5eac538aa-20\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"citation-1 citation-end-1\"\u003eNative to the mossy cloud forests of Central and South America, members of the genus Platystele thrive at elevations from 1,000 to 6,500 feet.\u003csup class=\"superscript\" data-turn-source-index=\"1\"\u003e\u003c!----\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e In habitat, these tiny epiphytes cling to moss-covered tree branches where constant mountain mists and cool breezes keep their delicate root systems constantly damp. \u003c!----\u003e\u003c!----\u003e\u003c!----\u003e\u003c!----\u003e\u003c!----\u003e\u003c!----\u003e\u003c!----\u003e\u003c!----\u003e\u003c!----\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"6\"\u003eGerman botanist Rudolf Schlechter established the genus Platystele in 1910 after realizing these diminutive plants belonged in a distinct group apart from Pleurothallis. Early Victorian explorers frequently overlooked them in the wild simply because an entire blooming colony can easily hide behind a single oak leaf.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"7\"\u003eThe generic name Platystele comes from the Greek words \u003ci data-path-to-node=\"7\" data-index-in-node=\"55\"\u003eplatys\u003c\/i\u003e, meaning broad or flat, and \u003ci data-path-to-node=\"7\" data-index-in-node=\"90\"\u003estele\u003c\/i\u003e, referring to the unusually wide column structure found at the heart of each microscopic flower.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"8\"\u003eIn cultivation, this plant prefers consistent moisture, gentle shade, and steady humidity over seasonal dry spells. All plants offered are nursery-propagated in our greenhouses and never wild-collected.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"9\"\u003eQuick Care Guide\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul data-path-to-node=\"10\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"10,0,0\"\u003eLight: Low to medium indirect light; target a pale apple-green leaf tone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"10,1,0\"\u003eWater: Keep consistently moist with high humidity; never allow the roots to dry out completely.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"10,2,0\"\u003eTemperature: Nights 55–60°F, days 68–80°F.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"10,3,0\"\u003eFertilizer: Very dilute balanced orchid fertilizer every two weeks during active growth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"10,4,0\"\u003eMature size: Leaves reach 1 to 2 inches tall; thread-like flower spikes reach 2 to 3 inches.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Kalapana Orchid Farm","offers":[{"title":"In Bud","offer_id":53088918569271,"sku":null,"price":32.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0672\/2279\/8647\/files\/platystelesp.2.png?v=1791058717","url":"https:\/\/orchid.farm\/products\/platystele-sp","provider":"Kalapana Orchid Farm","version":"1.0","type":"link"}