Renanthera monachica- the 'cute girl' orchid

The genus Renanthera contains species with substantial stems that eventually clamber on surrounding vegetation and are not really suitable for those with limited spaces, which is a shame considering the color intensity of its flowers. The species with the largest flowers, R. storiei, also develop the longest stems; some years ago I saw what I thought were Arachnis until I caught a glimpse of the flowers. Some of the stems have reached the ends of their hosts' branches and have become pendent. I reckon that the stems may be around 10 meters in length. Most examples in cultivation are not that old to reach such dimensions, but you get the idea. The 'smaller' R. philippinensis can become unmanageable unless you have a tree or a really tall pole where it can climb. I have one here that is already about 2 meters tall. Renanthera monachica, our featured plant, is one of the smaller species, with stems that hardly reach 60 cm in length, and even so will take many years to attain that.

Renanthera monachica was described by Oakes Ames in 1915 and the given name is unusual in being of Spanish derivation instead of Latin or Greek as is often the norm; the species name 'monachica' is actually two words which means 'cute girl' (mona chica). The flowers have a base color that is commonly yellow, but may also be apricot or orange, and the red spots may be of varying sizes and intensity. Furthermore, some specimens may appear fuller due to wider sepals and petals, while there are others that look more lithe.

There appear to be two major groups within the genus. The first one is characterized by strap-like leaves and smooth roots, in flowers in shades of red. Examples in this group include R. coccinea, R. imschootiana, R. philippinensis, and R. storiei. In this group, as you may already have surmised, are also the tallest species. The other group consists of species with shorter stems and narrower yet fleshier leaves that are often tinged with dull purple on the undersides, and rough-surfaced roots. In this group are such plants as R. breviflora, R. matutina and R. monachica. If you have a limited growing area and would like to try out renantheras, you know what to look for.

The roots of R. monachica have a roughened surface.

Renanthera monachica in the early morning hours.

A specimen with broad perianth segments.

Renanthera monachica is a species from the lowlands and therefore appreciates a lot of heat. Still, constantly high temperatures throughout the day and throughout the year may result in a worn-out plant that may bloom only as a response to stress. Such plants eventually die unless remedial measures are quickly undertaken. For successful maintenance, these plants should be given sufficient nighttime temperature drops and cooler temperatures from December to February. I find this species to benefit from regular watering throughout the year.

There are two quirks of this species that I would like to briefly discuss, and the first is its propensity to drop many of its leaves while still in the acclimatization process. This is particularly true for wild-collected specimens- and most that circulate in the hobby, particularly those that are coming from the Philippines, its country of origin, are collected from the wild; if you find plants labeled or designated as 'farm-grown', rest assured that those were harvested from the wild. Let it be known here that this species is listed as 'Endangered' by DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources) Administrative Order 2017. Anyway, this species is very slow to put out new roots, and because many of its roots desiccate after the plants were removed from their host, this means that these plants have a barely functioning organ to absorb water. The fleshy leaves lose their turgidity quite fast and drop off from the stems. By the time you are lucky enough to fully establish a plant, it's probably already very unattractively leggy. You can wait until basal shoots appear and cut off the main stem to be rooted separately, but it takes an awful lot of time before these plants decide to throw out offsets. Even well-established plants will drop their leaves when grown in a climate that is quite different from where it was accustomed to, so make sure that you did your homework before acquiring one of these. However, fully established plants are very easy to care for, and will thrive even with benign neglect. I grow my plants under full sun, in company with other sun-loving orchids. During the hot months, the leaves may start to shrivel, so I make it a point to soak them in water for about 5 minutes at least once a week. Of course, I can move them to a spot where they can receive less light, but I do not want to lose the purple hints on the leaves.

The other idiosyncrasy I have observed of this species is that there are plants which can be reluctant to flower. From observations on my own plants and discussion with other growers, it appears that even plants originating from the same locality may have individuals that are either free-blooming or very timid. If you are going to purchase a plant or two, look for signs of old peduncles along the stems; a stem devoid of such remains are the ones that likely bloom very sporadically. At any rate, this species flowers about twice a year, from February to April and then again from August to October, even as late as November. The flowers are non-fragrant but last to around two weeks.

These plants readily form pods for me, and in due time I may need to send these to a friend who runs a little home laboratory and then maybe someday I can offer plants, at least for the local market, that have not been stripped from their home forests. Better yet, I can have the pleasant choice of releasing some of the progeny back to the wild. But no, I am not going to tell here where that would be 😉