Thanks to Charles Baker and Peter O' Byrne for providing great cultivation advice for the species Pecteilis susannae. Both answers are detailed and should prove to be most useful.
************* On my own, I found the following about the species :
"Pecteilis susannae (R. Br.) Raf. had a special and sentimental meaning for Rumphius. He described the flower as having " a long and somewhat crooked tail at the back, hanging down for some 6 inches, as thick as an oaten pipe, round. hollow inside, on the outside green and white. And, he added "since I have not been able to find either a Malay or an Ambonese name, I call it Flos Susnnae in Latin. In Malay" Bonga Susanna [Susanna's flower], in memory of her who when alive, was my first companion and helpmate in looking for herbs and plants, and who was also the first one to show it to me." This moving epitaph (de Wit, 1977) shows that Rumphius and Susanna (about whom not much
more is known) shared a strong bond and that she was more than just his wife or companion. She was his soul mate and coworker."
source : Plant Science Bulletin, vol. 49, no. 4, p. 156
**************
Also, there is a scan of an article about the species published in the Orchid Review at the following address :
http://www.ifrance.com/Alaclairefontaine/PecteilissusannaeinJava.htm
**************
In his answer to my query, Peter wrote : "I do not know of anyone who is successfully propagating P. susannae on any scale (either commercial or hobby-level).
PLEASE DO NOT BUY THIS SPECIES ( 'cos you'll just be contributing to it's extinction) !!!!!!!
Of course, that is a serious concern.
I know that plants of Pecteilis susannae have been available from Orchid Inn (Downs, IL) in the United States.
I do not know though if these plants were artificially propagated or not.
Does anyone on the OGD know ?
*************** Regards,
Viateur
_______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids

