Dendrobium cuthbertsonii

This is far from my best Dendrobium cuthbertsonii.  The flowers are small and the flower segments are not always very flat, nor is the color as bright as I would like, but the plant always blooms profusely and so I keep it.  The species is from New Guinea, is cool growing, as has been noted before, and likes high light.  In fact, under very high light it will also tolerate warmer temperatures.  My plant is grown in a clay pot in sphagnum moss.

Dresslerella caesariata

Dresslerella is a small genus of plants characterized by hairy leaves, inflorescences and flowers, i.e., everything is covered with hairs.  This plant is pendant with 15 cm leaves and short stems and the 3 cm flowers come at the juncture of leave and stem.  Dresslerella caesariata is from Ecuador, is cool growing and needs to be mounted because of its growth habit.  I grow mine on a piece of very open tree fern root and water it every day.  It prefers lower light and flowers better then.

Masdevallia naevia

Masdevallia naevia is from Ecuador and belongs to a group of Masdevallias that have rather large, spidery flowers, section Caudatae.  The name "naevia" refers to the purple spot at the base of the dorsal sepal and means "birthmark."  The plant is 10 cm tall and the flowers are also 10 cm held well above the foliage.  This is not my favorite plant since both plant and flowers seem rather stiff and awkward to me.

Barbosella cogniauxiana

This species is a micro-miniature.  It grows as a mat of oval leaves that are only 1.5cm, with flower spikes of 5 cm and single 3 cm flowers.  The plant is temperature tolerant and easy to grow and can produce a mass of flowers that almost completely hide the plant itself.  It is best grown mounted and mine is on a small piece of branch, where it tends to ramble.  It is related to Pleurothallis and belongs to a small group of species from Central and South America, in this case from Brazil.

Masdevallia veitchiana 'Betty'

Masdevallia veitchiana is sometimes called the "Queen of Masdevallias" for quite obvious reasons.  The species is from Peru and is often referred to there as "Gallo-gallo" since is resembles a rooster's crest.  It is a smaller species.  My plant is only 15 cm tall with 11 cm flowers on fairly short spikes that hold the flowers a few inches above the plant.  The darker markings on the face of the flowers are actually tiny purple hairs.  The flowers itself is a brilliant orange.

Dendrobium cuthbertsonii

It seems that's all I'm posting is Dendrobium cuthbertsonii and its hybrids, but they are all in bloom now and not much else is.  This plant is one of my better examples of the species with very large flowers that open well and good color.  The species, as those who are familiar with it know, comes in a rainbow of colors and has flowers that last six months or more.  The plant is tiny, only a few cm tall, and the flowers, 3.5 cm in this case, dwarf the plant.