Dendrobium seranicum 'Brendan'

Dendrobium seranicum is a high-altitude species from New Guinea that loves cool temperatures, high light and lots of water and humidity.  I grow it mounted on a piece of cork bark.  The plant is 8 cm tall and the very long-lasting flowers are 3 cm.  It belongs to the section Oxyglossum which includes some of my favorite orchids.  They have brightly colored long-lasting flowers, and with a few exceptions are miniatures.

Sigmatostalix uncinata

Sigmatostalix uncinata is a recently described species from Ecuador.  It is related to Oncidium and has the same growth habit, a single leaf at the top of an oval pseudobulb and the pseudobulb surrounded by several sheathing leaves.  The plant is 12 cm tall and the flowers 2 cm.  It seems to do well with my other cool-temperature orchids and is mounted on a small piece of tree fern.  It seems to bloom every couple of months with two to three flowers per flower spike.

Mediocalcar decoratum var. variegatum

Mediocalcar decoratum is a tiny plant that rambles, each new growth coming at the top of the last growth.  The growths are interesting, too in that the leaves are arranged like a propeller at the top of a tiny cylindrical pseudobulb.  The pseudobulbs with their leaves are only 2 cm and the flowers are even smaller, but brightly and unusually colored like little candy corns.  The species from New Guinea, prefers cool temperatures, but is an easy orchid to grow.  This plant has variegated foliage which adds a nice touch.  It is still small and bloomed with only a couple flowers this spring, so I have only this one picture.

Trisetella hirtzii

Like all the Trisetellas, this is a very small plant, only 3 cm tall, and the flowers, too, are typical of the genus both in color and with their odd little tails.  The flowers are 1 cm and the plants blooms prolifically during the winter.  It is from Ecuador and named after a well-known orchidist.  It is related to Masdevallia, and like them prefers cool temperatures and good humidity.

'

Mediocalcar versteegii 'Mountainside'

Medicolcar versteegii is from the highlands of New Guinea and has the brightly colored flowers and unusual color combinations that are common in the genus.  The individual growths, a narrow cylindrical pseudobulb and a narrow lance-shaped leaf, are 9 cm tall and the flowers are only 1 cm, one flower per growth.  The plants tends to ramble all over and I've had to tie it together with some mono-filament line.  It is a little bit big and sprawling for my limited space, but I'd have trouble making the decision to get ride of it.  It is charming.

Masdevallia mystica

Masdevallia mystica belongs to the Saltatrices group of Masdevallias.  The species in this group have bright colors, tubular flowers and "bellies," a noticeable bulge at the base of the flower.  This "species" is from Ecuador, but is probably a natural hybrid of Masdevallia filaria and Masdevallia ventricularia, two other species in this group.  The plant is 10 cm tall and the flowers are surprisingly small, only a little over 2 cm  What the plant lacks in flower size, however, it makes up in floriferousness, and can be completely covered with flowers when well grown.

Masdevallia hirtzii

This wonderful species is from Ecuador and Peru and belong to the Saltatrices group of Masdevallias.  It is typical of the species in that group with brightly colored, tubular flowers that are lined with glandular hairs, and a pronounced swelling at the base of the flower, a "belly."  The plant is 6-8 cm tall with 5 cm flowers and blooms for three or four months, though the individual flowers do not last that long.