Orchids in Bloom

Monday, June 17, 2013

Masdevallia datura

Masdevallia datura is named for the enormous Angel Trumpet flowers belonging to the genus Datura or Brugmansia. Its flowers are nowhere near the size of the Angel Trumpets but are large for the size of the plants. The plants of this Masdevallia are 12-15cm tall, with narrow leaves and the flowers, measured from tip to tip are equally large. The species is from Bolivia and is cool growing.

Monday, June 10, 2013

Dendrobium malvicolor

This charming little species is from Sumatra. It is only 10cm tall with clusters of 3cm flowers that appear to be white but have a pink blush. Because the flowers are pendant, the fact that anther cap is purple is not evident either except on closer inspection. The plant is quite temperature tolerant and blooms faithfully for me every spring on the older growths. The growths are on a wiry "stem" with a fattened end that holds several small leaves.

Friday, June 7, 2013

Dendrobium limpidum 'Ashley' CBR/AOS

Dendrobium limpidum is from New Guinea and belongs to the Pedilonum section of the genus Dendrobium, a group of mostly semi-pendant cane-type plants. This species is one of the smallest in the section with thickened canes 10-12cm long. The 2cm flowers, which do not open very widely, are produced in clusters, and though the individual flowers are quite small, the plant puts on a good show since both the color and number of the flowers are eye-catching and foliage very beautiful also. My plant was given a Certificate of Botanical Recognition by the American Orchid Society (CBR/AOS).

Saturday, June 1, 2013

Scaphosepalum merinoi

The Scaphosepalums includes some of the oddest flowers in the orchid world. Scaphosepalum merinoi from Ecuador is no exception and even the flower buds are oddly shaped. Like many other species in the genus this flowers successively over a long period of time, so that the ends of the flower spikes begin to take on a herringbone pattern. The flowers are 6cm across and the flower spikes are 20 cm long. The plant is from Ecuador and is 8-10cm tall. It is best grown mounted because of its long flower spikes.

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Northwest Orchid Society Show

On Friday and Saturday, April 5 and 6, I was at the Northwest Orchid Society Show in Shoreline, Washington. I put in a display, but since it was really the same display as in the Mount Baker Orchid Society Show, I did not even take pictures of my display, though the plants won a number of ribbons and two trophies. These are some of the orchids from the show that I photographed - shows are always a challenge.

PHALAENOPSIS

Unidentified Phalaenopsis hybrids