Dryadella barrowii

I am not 100% sure of the identification of this plant since I purchased it as something else, but my references indicate that it is Dryadella barrowii.  It has arching leaves 8 cm in length and the flowers that do not open widely and have a spread of 2 cm.  It blooms in late winter or early spring and grows in a clay pot in sphagnum moss.  It, like most of my orchids, prefers cool temperatures.

Dryadella cristata

A true miniature, this little Pleurothallid is only 3 cm tall with 1.5 cm flowers.  Dryadella cristata is from Colombia and blooms in the winter here.  The genus, Dryadella, was separated from Masdevallia and contains approximately 30 species.  In the case of this species the name of this plant refers to the crested petals, visible as blackish-purple bits in the center of the flowers.  The flowers are not very long-lasting and I grow it mounted on a piece of ceder shingle.

Dryadella barrowii

I purchased this as Masdevallia minuta and when it bloomed it proved to be something entirely different, though the genus Dryadella was once included in Masdevallia.  After a lot of searching I've come up with a tentative identification since it seems to fit best the descriptions of Dryadella barrowii, also from Ecuador.  The leaves are about 8 cm and the flowers have a spread of 2 cm.  Like the rest of the Dryadellas it produces a lot of flowers when it blooms.

Dryadella pusiola 'Erin' CHM/AOS

Dryadella pusiola is a tiny orchid species from Colombia.  The plant is about 5 cm tall and the tiny flowers are less than .5 cm.  The Dryadellas were at one time classified with Masdevallias but the genus was separated from Masdevallia and now contains a small number of miniatures species with flowers that are similar in shape to this, though they vary in size and coloration.  The genus is named rather aptly for the Dryads, the nymphs of the trees in Greek mythology.

This plant now has a clonal name and a provisional award from the American Orchid Society.  I brought it in for judging on February 18th to the Northwest Regional Judging Center in Seattle and it was given a Certificate of Horticultural Merit.  There was some question about its identity and so it has to be confirmed before the award is final.  I had kind of hoped that it would be given a cultural award but they wanted to know its identity first so that they could compare it to other plants of the same species.

Dryadella cristata

This orchid species is really tiny, only 3 cm tall with 1.5 cm flowers.  Dryadella cristata is from Colombia and blooms in the winter here.  The genus, Dryadella, was separated from Masdevallia and contains approximately 30 species.  The species name of this plant refers to the crested petals, visible as blackish-purple bits in the center of the flowers.