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Taeniophyllum savaiiense is a leafless epiphytic orchid from Savai'i in Samoa that grows on tree trunks and photosynthesizes through green, ribbon-like roots. It is a wild species of wet tropical forest and is rarely grown in cultivation, so care advice is limited.
Taeniophyllum savaiiense is a species of an epiphyte orchid. This plant is endemic to Samoa, most specifically Savaiʻi. It grows on tree trunks instead of in the soil. It has no leaves at all. Instead, it uses its green, ribbon-like roots to catch sunlight and make its food. It grows small, wiry stems that carry many tiny white or cream-coloured flowers.
Taeniophyllum baumei · Taeniophyllum clementsii · Crowded ribbonroot · Taeniophyllum explanatum · Taeniophyllum fasciola · Christmas Island ribbonroot · Yellow ribbonroot · Tangled ribbonroot · Chain ribbonroot · Norfolk Island ribbonroot · Ribbonroot Orchids
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Taeniophyllum savaiiense by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
