Monday, August 25, 2014

Phalaenopsis Mini Mark 'Holm'

I have only a couple Phalaenopsis, all of them smaller plants that are grown on a bathroom windowsill.  This is one of them, a hybrid of Phalaenopsis philippinense and Phalaenopsis Micro Nova.  It is a small plant and the flowers, too, are small, about 3 cm.  It blooms in the fall and is easy to grow and flower.









Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Platystele ortiziana

This is a tiny thing, the plant only 3 cm tall, the flower spikes 5 cm long, and the tiny heads of flowers only a few millimeters across.  It is from Columbia and is named after an orchid enthusiast from that country.  The genus Platystele belongs to the group of orchids known as Pleurothallids and is related to Masdevallia.



Friday, August 15, 2014

Phragmipedium Cardinale 'Birchwood'

Phragmipedium Cardinale 'Birchwood' is an awarded clone of an older Phragmipedium hybrid.  It is a hybrid of Phragmipedium schlimii and Phragmipedium Sedenii.  It is a smaller Phragmipedium and does well in a saucer of water (so that it is soaking wet at all times) and on a bathroom windowsill.  It blooms several times a year for us.  The flowers are 6 cm and bloom successively, two or three to a flower spike.











Monday, August 11, 2014

Dendrobium Gina Perlite 'Crystal White'

This beautiful hybrid of the tiny Dendrobium cuthbertsonii and the hard-to-grow Dendrobium prasinum is seldom out of bloom and is much easier to grow and more warmth tolerant than either of the parents.  It is a slightly larger plant than Dendrobium cuthbertsonii and the leaves have only a hint of the "pebbled" surface of the leaves of that species.  Why this plant's clonal name is 'Crystal White' I do not know since the flowers are a soft yellow color.


Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Sigmatostalix graminea

Sigmatostalix graminea looks like a tiny Oncidium and is in fact related to that genus.  It is a micro-miniature, the plant only 5 cm tall with tiny pseudobulbs and a tiny fan of deeply channeled leaves.  Its successively flowered spikes that come from the base of the pseudobulbs.  The flowers are a mere 5mm in size.  It is from Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru.



Friday, August 1, 2014

Promenaea xanthina

All the Promenaea species are miniatures and all are from Brazil.  They are small plants with large flowers and worth growing if one can provide cooler temperatures and good humidity.  One of the more brightly colored species is Promenaea xanthina with its beautiful yellow flowers.  The plant is only 6-8 cm tall with small flattened pseudobulbs and soft, pale green foliage.  The flowers are 4-5 cm in size and make a good display if happy.




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