🇮🇳 Habitat and Ecology
​Diploprora truncata (the Truncate Diploprora) is a monopodial epiphytic orchid native to the Eastern Himalayas and Southeast Asia. Its range includes Northeast India (Arunachal Pradesh), Thailand, Vietnam, and Southern China (Yunnan).
​It inhabits subtropical to montane evergreen forests at moderate elevations, typically between 1,200 and 1,700 metres. It thrives in the shaded, humid understory, often growing on tree trunks where it receives consistent moisture and protection from direct sun.
​🌸 Description and Distinguishing Features
​This orchid is a small, pendulous perennial valued for its curious lip structure and spotted foliage.
​Habit: It produces pendulous, monopodial stems that are enveloped by the leaf sheaths. It does not have pseudobulbs.
​Foliage: The leaves are alternate, falcate-lanceolate (sickle-shaped), and often display distinctive purple spotting on the surface, making the plant attractive even when not in bloom.
​Flowers: The flowers are borne on lateral, lax, pendent inflorescences that carry several (5 to 7) blooms, typically appearing in winter. The blooms are small, approximately 1.7 cm wide.
​Aesthetics: The flowers are typically pale yellow or creamy-white, often with faint reddish-brown spotting. The defining feature is the lip (labellum): unlike its close relative D. championii, the apex of the lip in D. truncata is truncate (squared off/blunt) rather than deeply forked, which gives the species its specific epithet. The flowers are fragrant.
​🔬 Taxonomy and Ethnobotany
​Taxonomy: The genus name Diploprora comes from the Greek diploos (double) and prora (prow), referring to the shape of the lip which resembles the prow of a boat.
​Ethnobotany:
​Cultural Name: In its native Chinese range, the genus is known as "She-she-lan" (Snake Tongue Orchid) due to the forked lip of the type species (D. championii). While D. truncata lacks the fork, it carries the same association.
​Medicinal Use: Specific medicinal records for D. truncata are scarce. However, in the broader Himalayan and Chinese pharmacopoeia, many small monopodial orchids are harvested for use in herbal tonics to clear heat and moisten the lungs, though D. truncata is not a primary commercial species for this purpose.
​💧 Cultivation and Care
​Diploprora truncata is a rewarding intermediate-to-cool growing orchid suitable for mounting or hanging baskets.
​Light: Requires moderate shade to bright, filtered light. Avoid direct midday sun, which can scorch the leaves. It prefers light levels similar to Phalaenopsis or slightly brighter.
​Substrate: Best grown mounted on cork bark or tree fern to accommodate its pendulous habit. Can also be grown in hanging baskets with a coarse, free-draining mix of fir bark and charcoal.
​Watering: Water regularly during the growing season; keep the medium moist but not soggy. Allow the roots to approach dryness between waterings, but never allow them to dry out completely ("bone dry") for long periods.
​Temperature:
​Summer: 20-28 C (68-82 F).
​Winter: A cool drop is beneficial, ideally 13-18 C (55-64 F).
​Humidity: High humidity (60-80%) is essential, along with good air circulation to prevent rot.
​✨ Unique Features
​This orchid is a collector's rarity prized for its pendulous, spotted foliage and its fragrant, pale yellow flowers. The truncate lip distinguishes it from the more common "Snake Tongue" orchid (D. championii), offering a subtle but distinct botanical variation for the Vanda alliance enthusiast.
​🏷️ Specifications
​Plant Size: Flowering sized plants not long out of the flask.
Plant Family: Orchidaceae
Plant Passport: A Diploprora truncata B 140084 C [buyer to use number of the plant label] D GB