Corybas genus

[carbonetc]

I'm becoming enamored with the Corybas genus (helmet orchids). Supposedly it's often found growing alongside Nepenthes, but I don't know which Corybas species in particular. Some species in colder climates require dormancy, however some like Corybas pictus (below) are tropical.

I'm discovering that these are extremely hard to find in the US. Even information on cultivation is scarce. Corybas pictus seems to be most common in cultivation because its requirements are more straightforward, but I don't know if there are other Corybas that are just as easy. Sometimes I can find native location and elevation, and that's all I have to go on for temperature and humidity requirements.

Can anyone here help me track down a Corybas pictus at the very least? And can anyone help me build a better list of cultivation requirements?

 

[Lil Stinkpot]

I'll second that request. Nice plant!

 

[Wire Man]

What the....... That is hands down the strangest looking orchid I have ever seen! I like it!

This seems to be the most thorough info I could find.
http://culturesheet.org/orchidaceae:corybas

 

[Cthulhu138]

The only Corybas species I've ever seen for sale in the States were on ebay and spelled wrong to boot. It was in the spring and from a grower in CA I believe.

 

[mato]

It has my full attention. Thanks for turning me on to this genus.

 

[Cthulhu138]

I've been looking for some of the temperate species for years. There's a species that grows on Macquerie Island making it the worlds most southerly growing orchid.

 

[DragonsEye]

While it doesn't help you in your search for a vendor, there are quite a few species to take a gander at here:

http://www.orchidspecies.com/indexco.htm​

Scroll about 1/3 way down the page.

 

[goods]

A few years ago, an Asian vendor brought Corybus geminigibbus to the Redlands festival in Florida. They were sold incredibly cheaply, $5 a plant or so. Later in the year, I picked up one from a GA vendor, who I assume bought what they were selling from the Redlands vendor. Of the people who I know purchased plants from Redlands or the other vendor, I was the only one to successfully bring it through the dormancy. **Side note: Even the tropical Corybas go dormant, they just don't require a dry dormancy. High humidity, little actual water.** My plant went through two years of growth cycles and looked as if it would bloom. One day, I checked on it and it was gone. I'm assuming it rotted, but I don't know for sure. It was so small it could have been taken out by a wayward snail or slug.

I've never seen any species for sale besides this species and this one instance. I did speak to Cordelia Head, owner of J&L Orchids, at a show, and she told me they had a large specimen grouping of C. picta in their personal collection for a while only to have it crash similar to the way I mentioned.

 

[goods]

BTW, I was looking at Ecuagenera's 2013 U.S. import list, and C. geminigibbus is listed!