Macodes petola

Natural range and habitat of Macodes petola

Macodes petola is native to the southern Nansei Islands of Japan, Peninsular Thailand, Malaya, Borneo, Java, Sumatra and the Philippines. It grows on the ground in wet tropical habitats, rooting through loose organic material.

Care for Macodes petola

• Pot and potting mix: Use a shallow pot with a loose orchid mix for soil-growing orchids that stays lightly moist while allowing air around the roots and rhizome.
• Watering: Keep the potting mix lightly damp. Water before it dries through and let excess water drain freely.
• Humidity: Aim for consistently humid air around 60–80%, with gentle airflow. Terrariums can work well; in an enclosed setup, let wet leaves dry after watering.
• Light: Give medium to low filtered light.
• Temperature: Keep temperatures around 18–24 °C. Avoid prolonged temperatures below 16 °C. Keep the plant in a warm room with stable temperatures, away from cold drafts and sudden changes.
• Feeding: Feed lightly with a dilute orchid fertiliser while new roots and leaves are growing.
• Repotting: Refresh the mix when it compacts or breaks down. Move to a slightly wider shallow pot when the rhizome has little room left to spread.

Problems to watch for

• Leaves become limp or curl while the mix feels dry: The roots are too dry or the surrounding air is drying the plant quickly. Water the mix evenly and return the plant to warm, humid conditions.
• Pale or dry scorched patches develop on the brightest side: The light or heat is too strong. Move the plant into gentler filtered light and keep the potting mix lightly damp.
• Roots or the base of the rhizome become dark and soft: Check for rot. Use a clean disinfected tool to remove rotten parts back to firm healthy tissue, discard the rotten material and repot in fresh terrestrial orchid mix.
• Water-soaked spots spread quickly or affected parts develop a foul smell: Bacterial soft rot may be present. Isolate the plant, cut infected parts back to firm healthy tissue with a clean disinfected tool, discard the infected material and keep the leaves dry. Watch the plant closely for new soft spots.
• Cottony insects or attached scale-like bumps appear: Check the leaf bases, stems and undersides for mealybugs or scale. Isolate the plant and remove visible pests. If treatment is needed, choose a product labelled for the pest you found and follow the label, including repeat directions.

Keep Macodes petola 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.

The meaning and history of Macodes petola

Macodes comes from Greek makros, long, referring to the elongated middle section of the orchid’s labellum, its specialised lower petal. The epithet petola preserves a vernacular plant name.

John Lindley established the genus Macodes in 1840 in Genera and Species of Orchidaceous Plants, page 496.

Carl Ludwig Blume first described it as Neottia petola in 1825 in Bijdragen tot de Flora van Nederlandsch Indië, page 407. John Lindley later placed it in Macodes as Macodes petola in 1840 in Genera and Species of Orchidaceous Plants, page 497.