Name: Lepanthes volador Luer & Hirtz
Etymology: volador = flying / the flyer — refers to the dynamic, almost floating appearance of the delicate flowers.
First described: 1996 by Carlyle A. Luer and Alexander C. Hirtz.
Origin / Distribution: Endemic to Ecuador.
Location / Habitat: Growing epiphytically in moist, moss-rich cloud forests of the Andes at cool to temperate altitudes. After deflasking, it requires partial shade (no direct sun), a consistently high humidity of 75–85%, and continuous, gentle air circulation.
Description & Notes: Lepanthes volador is a fascinating miniature orchid with delicate, upright shoots and characteristic lepanthiform leaf sheaths. The leaves are broadly ovate. The flowers appear sequentially on a slender raceme and impress with their extremely delicate structure and vivid coloring, with the floral segments visually resembling an insect in flight.

In vitro culture: You will receive a flask with 4 young plants. The plants are usually already large enough to be deflasked. After opening, remove the nutrient medium particularly carefully from the very fine roots with lukewarm water and place the young plants on moist sphagnum or in a very fine, airy, and slightly moisture-retaining substrate. During the first few weeks, we recommend very high humidity, cool to intermediate conditions, protected light, and gentle, continuous air movement. Keep consistently slightly moist and avoid complete drying out.