Species · genus Ludisia · Orchidaceae

Jewel Orchid

Ludisia discolor (Ker Gawl.) Blume

Growth habit

rhizomatous geophyte

Native range

Borneo, Cambodia, China South-Central, China Southeast, Hainan, Laos, Malaya, Myanmar, Philippines, Sumatera, Thailand, Vietnam

Reference · L. discolor

Cultivars of L. discolor

The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.

No named cultivars catalogued under L. discolor yet. When growers document a stable, named form, it earns its own page here.

Guide

The species-level account. Cultivar pages build on this and say where they differ.

Ludisia discolor is a terrestrial jewel orchid, a rhizomatous geophyte from the shaded forest floors of tropical Southeast Asia, grown for its dark, velvety foliage rather than flowers. It wants low, dappled light well away from direct sun, consistently warm air, and high humidity. Keep the loose, well-drained mix lightly moist but never soggy: water when the top inch begins to feel dry, and err toward the drier end, as its fleshy rhizome rots if left wet.

Care recipe

The species record — the baseline every cultivar inherits unless it says otherwise.

Care notes are early — not yet verified

Light: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Water: ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 5-10d)
Humidity: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Soil: ai:claude-fable-5
Care: ai:claude-fable-5

Light

Low light

Water

≈ every 10 days

Humidity

High

Temperature

16–29 °C

Soil mix

Humus-rich, moisture-retentive terrestrial-orchid mix

Propagation

Stem cuttings laid on damp moss

Fertilizing

Dilute balanced feed monthly while in growth

Growth rate

Moderate

Flowering

Small white blooms on tall spikes in winter

ToxicityAuthoritative · species

Not yet documented

This is where toxicity lives — every cultivar of this species inherits it and none can override it.

Reference images

Every image credited. Licenses link to their deeds.

No reference gallery yet

A few clear photos — habit, a mature leaf, a flower if it blooms — would give this page its eyes.

Add images

Sources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 5-10d) · ai:claude-fable-5

Kept true by its growers

Every fact here carries its source. Grow Jewel Orchid yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — is exactly what keeps this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.