Friday, July 29, 2011

Sophrolaeliocattleya Minibeau

This mini-Cattleya is a hybrid of Sophrocattleya Beautfort and Sophrolaelia Minipet.  The plant is less than fifteen cm tall and the flowers very large in proportion to the plant, around eight cm across.  It is one of the few hybrids I grow.

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Masdevallia eurynogaster

Masdevallia eurynogaster is another species in the Saltatrices group of Masdevallias.  The flowers in this group are tubular, have glandular hairs on the inside of the flower tube, and have a "belly" at the base of the flower tube.  This species is from Ecuador and blooms on lax spikes that tend to hang over the side of the pot.  The plant is about 9 cm tall and the flowers about 4.5 cm from the tips of the tails.  This is the first time I've grown and bloomed this attractive species.


Friday, July 8, 2011

Zygostates multiflora

This miniature species belong to a group of orchids known as the Ornithocephalinae, all of them related to the "Bird's Head" orchids in the genus Ornithocephalus.  This species, as is the case with many other in the group, is from Brazil.  Its name is appropriate since it is indeed "many-flowered."  The plant itself is 3 cm tall with tiny psuedobulbs and leaves.  The flower spikes are 15 cm long and bear numerous, white, 5 mm flowers that are very intricate and have a shiny green tip to the column.


Monday, July 4, 2011

Dendrobium cuthbertsonii bicolor

Purchased recently from Mountain Orchids, this seedling is blooming for the first time with three of its huge flowers and two buds.  Dendrobium cuthertsonii is a micro miniature species from New Guinea.  The plants are only a few centimeters tall and are almost hidden by the huge 3 cm flowers.  This plant with its bicolor flowers is the result of careful selection and breeding of the species.