Masdevallia angulifera 'J & L'

Masdevallia angulifera is from Colombia and belongs to the Saltarices group of Masdevallias.  It has all the features of that group, colorful, tubular flowers lined with glandular hairs and a bulge at the base of the tube.  Like the other plants in the group it is small, 12 cm, with 2.5 cm flowers.  This clone is particularly dark and has been awarded by the American Orchid Society.

Masdevallia angulifera 'J & L' AM/AOS

Masdevallia angulifera is from Colombia and belongs to the Saltarices group of Masdevallias.  It has all the features of that group, colorful, tubular flowers lined with glandular hairs and a bulge at the base of the tube.  Like the other plants in the group it is small, 12 cm, with 2.5 cm flowers.  This clone is particularly dark and has been awarded by the American Orchid Society.

Masdevallia angulifera 'J & L' AM/AOS

Masdevallia angulifera belong to the Saltatrices group of Masdevallias, those with tubular, hair-lined flowers that have a pronounced "belly" at the base of the tube.  The plant is 12cm tall and the 2.5cm flowers are held above the leaves.  This clone was awarded by the American orchid Society for its dark color.  I grow it in a net pot in live sphagnum moss.

Phragmipedium Cardinale 'Birchwood' AM/AOS

Phragmipedium Cardinale 'Birchwood' is an awarded clone of an older Phragmipedium hybrid.  It is a hybrid of Phragmipedium schlimii and Phragmipedium Sedenii.  The plant actually belongs to my son who won it at the last orchid society Christmas dinner.  It was in bloom at that time, but not doing very well, with a lot of dead leaves and black leaf tips.  We keep it in a saucer of water so that it is soaking wet at all times and grow it on a bathroom windowsill.  It has put up numerous new growths and the black leaf tips have stopped.  It has just started blooming and this is its first flower.

Masdevallia decumana 'Nancy' AM-CCE/AOS

This plant was given a cultural award in November when it had 22 flowers and 7 buds.  It bloomed again this month with 32 flowers and 8 buds.  I brought it in again for judging last Saturday at the Northwest Regional Judging Center and it was given two awards, an Award of Merit for the quality of the flowers and a Certificate of Cultural Excellence for the number of flowers.

This plant is incredible.  I have another Masdevallia decumana that produces a fair number of flowers every time it blooms but this plant goes crazy when it blooms.  I worry sometimes that it is going to bloom itself to death, but it seems perfectly happy and just produces another crop of flowers.  I grow it mounted on a cedar slab with a bit of moss and water it every day.

Phragmipedium Cardinale 'Birchwood' AM/AOS

Son Edward won this plant at our society's annual Christmas dinner.  Its tag identified it as Phragmipedium schlimii 'Birchwood', which it clearly is not.  We've identified it tentatively as Phragmipedium Cardinale 'Birchwood' but if anyone knows better we would be happy to be corrected.  Phragmipedium Cardinale is a hybrid of Phrag. schlimii and Phrag. Sedenii, but we've discovered that the hybrids in this group all look very similar and that has made us unsure of the correct id.  Unlike some of the Phrags, it is a relatively small plant and we are growing it on a bathroom windowsill with some Paphiopedilums.