Name: Zootrophion dayanum (Rchb.f.) Luer
Synonyms: Masdevallia dayana Rchb.f.; Cryptophoranthus dayanus(Rchb.f.) Rolfe; Cryptophoranthus argus Rchb.f. ex Kraenzl.; Cryptophoranthus beloglottis Schltr.
Etymology: dayanum= named in honor of John Day, a prominent British orchid collector and illustrator of the 19th century.

First description: Originally described in 1880 by Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach as Masdevallia dayana; transferred to the genus Zootrophion in 1982 by Carlyle A. Luer.
Origin / Distribution: Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.
Location / Habitat: Grows epiphytically in very moist montane cloud forests at elevations of approximately 1,200 to 2,200 meters. It thrives in shaded locations with consistently high humidity and continuous air movement.
Description & Notes: Zootrophion dayanum is a small, clump-forming (caespitose) miniature orchid. The erect ramicauls are almost entirely enveloped by tubular, overlapping sheaths, and each bears a single, broadly elliptic, very leathery leaf, often with a reddish-violet underside. The flowers are fleshy and heavily patterned (often yellow-green with intense purplish-red spots) and display the characteristic "window flower" of the genus: the sepals are fused at the base and tips, leaving only two lateral window-like openings available for pollinators.

In cultivation, this species requires temperate to cool conditions and consistently high humidity, and must never be allowed to dry out completely. A shaded spot and the use of low-salt water (rainwater or reverse-osmosis water) are ideal.