Commonly called the "Virgin Orchid" this is one of our finest native orchids. Growing in clusters of elongate spindle shaped pseudo bulbs narrowed at their bases and possessing a few rigid leathery leaves towards the apices. These pseudo bulbs are hollow and usually at their bases a hole is present through which colonies of fierce large biting ants access the interior where they nest.

The erect flower spikes are often more than three feet tall and blooms can number approximately twenty. These are always fragrant, waxy and long lived, often pure ivory-white, two inches plus in diameter. The sepals are sometimes tinged with pink-lavender on the reverse sides. The lip morphology resembles a statue of the Madonna, hence the local name "Virgin Orchid".

Most common habitat is the coastal regions of the north-west peninsula, north and east coasts, on trees and quite often on rocks. It also grows in the forests adjacent to and south of the central range.

Diacrium or Caularthron as it now correctly named has been used to produce many fine hybrids especially with the laelianae, numbering approximately eighty.

Note these hybrids: Dial Snowflake (x L albida), Diaca Trinidad (x C. Portia),

Dialps Tobago (x Lps domingensis), Diab Alice Hart (x Bro sanguinea),

Epdcm Bico Moyo (x Epi moyobambe).