Ionopsis satyrioides
 

I live in the natural habitat of this small epiphytic orchid. It grows on the tips of the branches of guava trees and occasionally on other trees. It appears to kill the twigs on which it perches and it is common to find plants in the forest litter that have fallen from the canopy because the twig in which it lived decayed too much. On occasion a complete branch of a tree will die if it has a heavy load of these plans. How the orchids kill the branches is not clear. Sometimes I take the plants from the ground and perch it on nearby bushes but it appears that they cannot survive well away from the canopy. The seedpod is somewhat round and spiny. Amazingly I found a plant growing on a dry leaf that had become entangled in an adult plant roots.

Why are 'twig epiphytes' so darn difficult? Many of them are so charming yet so very difficult - or impossible - to keep alive after a period of time. Your explanation is interesting. I wonder if all kill the twigs upon which they grow. Has anyone observed this with other twig epiphytes like I. utriculariodes or Psymorchis pusilla?

My observations in the wild is that these plants often die after a few years even when given the best care in their natural habitat. Plants that produce seed pods seem to kick the bucket with special haste.