Jean-Jules Linden named the species and Karl Koch published the name in 1867. Linden was one of the first students admitted to the newly founded University of Brussels. In 1835, at age 19, he explored Central and South America at the behest of the government. He continued exploring and collecting through his twenties.

When Linden returned to Belgium, he founded an orchid nursery, Horticulture Internationale. Linden and his son, Lucien, funded numerous botanists and introduced over 1000 species of orchids to Europe, as well as other plants like Tillandsia cyanea.

Through the years, Jean-Jules and Lucien published 17 volumes of Iconographie des Orchidées or "Lindenia". The volumes featured a color lithograph and detailed information about each species. Every volume published contained valuable information written by the Lindens or the botanist who collected the orchid--knowledge covering half a century of scientific observation. The final volume was published in 1903, five years after Jean-Jules died.

Unfortunately, in this age of supreme ignorance, volumes like "Lindenia" are being lost to those who know the price of everything and the value of nothing. The Lindens' carefully composed works are being cut up by the uneducated to decorate the walls of the overpaid.