Mexican Orchid of the Month: The Imbricate Scaphyglottis 

Scaphyglottis imbricata. (Lindl.) Dressler

By Biól. Evelyn Martinez Cuevas

September 13, 2026

This month, to mark our national celebrations, we invite you to visit the Vallarta Botanical Garden and discover, amongst the foliage, a small orchid with a great history: Scaphyglottis imbricata. This orchid, with its slender stems, narrow leaves and small, intensely red-orange flowers, thrives in the rainforests of tropical America. Its vivid colours have led researchers to believe that it may be pollinated by hummingbirds.

The epithet ‘imbricata’ refers to the overlapping arrangement of its bracts or structures, whilst its original placement within genera such as Hexisea or Diothonea reflected a classification that was subsequently revised following morphological comparisons and phylogenetic studies. The result was a reclassification that more accurately reflects its evolutionary relationships.

This, like many other taxonomic changes, shows us that science also evolves as we learn to look at relationships that are not visible to the naked eye.

We look forward to seeing you at the Garden, to search for Scaphyglottis imbricata amongst the landscape and observe how a small orchid can reveal a rich history: that of its adaptations to the forest, that of its evolutionary relationships, and that of a science that continues to refine the way we understand the diversity of life.