The compact Cleisostoma occurs naturally in the tropics of Southeast Asia. It is a orchid genus which has about 100 species. Most of the species are epiphytes, but there are also a number of lithophytes among them. For example, Cleisostoma gjellerupii is a terrestrial species, growing on wet peat at an altitude of 3,000 meters in New Guinea. Not all Cleisostoma orchids grow that high, as there are also species that grow at sea level. The first species was published in 1825. Popular species include the Cleisostoma tenuifolium, Cleisostoma crochetii and the Cleisostoma arietinum.
