Trisetella hoeijeri

Trisetella hoeijeri is a tiny species from Ecuador that was once classified as Masdevallia.  Most of the Trisetellas have small reddish-brown flowers with short tails, but this one, obviously, is different.  The plant is a few centimeters tall and the flowers are 4 cm from tip to tip.  The plant should be grown mounted and cool with plenty of water.  For some reason my plant only produced a couple of flowers this winter and probably needs just a little more light.

Dendrobium cuthbertsonii

I have so many different plant of this species, that I don't remember whether or not I posted this one recently, and haven't bothered to check.  This, again, is Dendrobium cuthbertsonii, one of the most desirable of all miniature orchids.  It is from New Guinea and from the Oxyglossum section of the genus Dendrobium.  The plants vary slightly in size but at most are only a few centimeters tall with flowers that dwarf the plant.  This particular plant has very large flowers and has bicolor (two-toned) flowers.

Restrepia cuprea

Here is another Restrepia from Colombia, Restrepia cuprea.   The growths are approximately 15 cm long with a 6 cm heart-shaped leaf on a stem that is wrapped in flattened bracts.  The flowers appear out of the topmost bracts from the joint of leaf and stem and each growth flowers successively over a long period of time. The flowers are bearly 6 cm tall.  They have the typical Restrepia shape with a narrow dorsal (upper) sepal and very thin, spidery petals.  The most prominent parts of the flower are the joined lateral (lower sepals which are a bright coppery orange, to which the name cuprea refers.  The flower, head on, looks like the face of little gnome with the dorsal sepal looking like a tall hat, the column a long nose, the petals two long eyebrows,the lip a long beard and the spots at the top of the lateral sepals two eyes.

Masdevallia constricta 'Kailyn'

Masdevallia constricta with its tubular flowers belongs to the Saltatrices group of Masdevallias and is a spectacular species with flowers that are larger than the plant.  The flowers are 13 cm from tip to tip and are lined with glandular hairs.  This plant has flowers that are somewhat larger than normal and has been awarded by the American Orchid Society.  The species is from Ecuador.

Reichantha striatella

A small species that blooms faithfully and prolifically every fall for me is Reichantha or Masdevallia striatella from Ecuador.  The small, though attractive, flowers are 1.5 cm and are held on more or less upright spikes just above the foliage.  The plant is 8 cm and is easy to grow.  Mine is in a plastic net pot in sphagnum moss and is watered nearly every day with an occasional very light dose of fertilizer.

Restrepia sanguinea 'Walter'

This plant was awarded by the American Orchid Society as Restrepia sanguinea but I've been told it's actually Restrepia guttulata.  If it is the latter species it is from Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela.  The plant is about 10 cm tall and the flowers are 5 cm from tip to tip.  My plant is grown in a plastic net pot in sphagnum moss and is very easy to grow.