Anoectochilus brevilabris

Botanical identity and natural origin of Anoectochilus brevilabris

Anoectochilus brevilabris occurs naturally from Nepal through the eastern Himalaya and Assam to Yunnan. It grows in humid broad-leaved forest and shady valleys, with roots running through the humus-rich upper layer. In Sikkim, it grows around 914–1,524 m, and it is also known from forest around 1,300–1,400 m in Arunachal Pradesh.

You may also see this plant under the older name Anoectochilus sikkimensis, which is treated as the same species. Anoectochilus brevilabris is assessed as Critically Endangered.

Growing Anoectochilus brevilabris at home

• Temperature: Keep it in a mild to warm room with fairly even temperatures.
• Watering: Keep the mix evenly moist around the fine roots. Water again while the surface still feels slightly damp, then drain the pot well after each soak.
• Light: Gentle filtered light suits the foliage well. Keep a normal day-night cycle if you grow it under artificial light.
• Potting mix: Choose a loose, humus-rich potting mix that stays moist and drains well. Small bark pieces help keep the mix loose. A shallow pot suits the creeping stem.
• Humidity: Keep the surrounding air comfortably humid, especially around fresh leaves, and provide gentle airflow around the plant.
• Feeding: Feed lightly while new roots, leaves or shoots are growing. Water with plain water occasionally to clear excess salts.
• Slower growth: Keep checking moisture and pause regular feeding until new growth starts again.
• Division and repotting: Repot if the mix becomes dense, drains slowly or the stem starts running along the side of the pot. A rooted stem with a new shoot can be separated to make a new plant.

Common problems with Anoectochilus brevilabris

• The plant goes limp after the mix dries: Water the mix thoroughly and let excess water drain. A single ageing lower leaf may yellow naturally while newer growth stays firm.
• A dark mark spreads from the stem base as the plant wilts: This can indicate fungal disease. Inspect the roots and remove diseased tissue with a sanitised tool. Only treat after identifying the fungal disease. Choose a fungicide labelled for it on indoor ornamental plants. Follow the label for dose and repeat treatment.
• A lower stem turns soft very quickly: Waterlogged roots and bacterial soft rot can both turn the lower stem soft or translucent. Move the plant away from others. With a clean tool, remove every rotten part until the remaining stem is firm and healthy. Discard the rotten tissue, then set the healthy stem on fresh potting mix with good drainage and let new roots develop.
• Brown marks continue expanding across otherwise firm leaves: Leaf-spot fungi, bacteria and repeated wetting can all produce spreading brown marks. Remove heavily damaged leaves, improve airflow and keep the leaves dry when watering.
• Fine silver marks, webbing, wax or hard bumps develop: Inspect leaf undersides, new growth and the low stem for thrips, mites, mealybugs or scale. Once you have confirmed the pest, choose a houseplant treatment labelled for it. Follow the label for dose and repeat treatment.

Keep Anoectochilus brevilabris away from children and pets

• Keep this plant away from children, cats and dogs.
• Its effects after chewing or swallowing are unclear, and plant material can still cause an upset stomach.
• Contact a veterinarian or medical professional if symptoms develop or do not settle.

Anoectochilus brevilabris: name and meaning

Anoectochilus combines Greek anoiktos, meaning open, with cheilos, meaning lip, referring to the spreading form of the flower’s labellum. The epithet brevilabris combines Latin brevis, meaning short, with labrum, meaning lip, referring to the flower's labellum.

Carl Ludwig Blume established the genus Anoectochilus in 1825 in Bijdragen tot de Flora van Nederlandsch Indië, page 411.

John Lindley first described Anoectochilus brevilabris in 1840 in Genera and Species of Orchidaceous Plants, page 499.