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.



6 comments:

  1. when I see these super tiny orchids I wonder where and what their pollinator is

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    1. Yes, I do too, and it must be something very tiny. These flowers are just millimeters in size.

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  2. Do you also grow P. umbellata? If so, can you describe any noticeable differences?

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    1. I'm inclined to think that this P. umbellata. I certainly wouldn't be able to tell the difference and the photos I've seen of P. ortiziana show a lighter colored flower. This came from Ecuagenera and they are notorious for mislabeled plants.

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  3. Indeed they are. It is either a blessing or a curse!

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    1. I have never ordered from them without getting mislabeled plants. Sometimes the mislabeling means you get a common species instead of the rarer species you were looking for, but sometimes you end up with a jewel instead of a dog.

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