Stelis hirtella

This tiny little Stelis is from Ecuador.  I received it as an unidentified Stelis from that country.  Someone has suggested that it is Stelis hirtella and and some of the pictures I've seen of that species match, though others do not.  The plant forms a mat of leaves a few centimeters high, has flower spikes that are 5-6 cm in length and that have 4-6 flowers 6 mm in diameter.

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.  It continues to produce flowers, one at a time, at the juncture of leaf and stem for an extended period of time  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.

Dendrobium cuthbertsonii

I've posted this species many times, since I grow numerous plants of it with many differently colored flowers.  This is the best orange-flowered plant I have.  The flowers do not open quite as widely as some but both size and color are good.  The plant is the usual few cm tall.

Masdevallia naevia

This is not my favorite plant since both plant and flowers seem rather stiff and awkward to me.  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.

 

Dendrobium agathodaemonis

Dendrobium agathodaemonis is very closely related to Dendrobium cuthbertsonii and considered to be the same species by some.  To my mind, however, they are quite different, the former species having very thin growths and flowers without the dark lip markings that Dendrobium cuthbertsonii has.  This is a plant I grew from a seedling and which has rather small but very clear red flowers.  The plant is only a couple of centimeters tall and the flowers around three centimeters long.  Like its close relative, it is from New Guinea and is cool growing.

Epigenium nakaharei

This plant blooms off and on throughout the year with a few flowers, but is now coming into its main bloom season.  Epigeneium nakaharaei is from Taiwan and is closely related to Dendrobium.  In fact, it was once classified as a Dendrobium.  The growths are 3-4 cm, a grooved and curved pseudobulb with a single oblong leaf at the top, and the flowers 2.5 cm with a glossy brown lip.  It quickly forms a large clump and scrambles all over and for that reason is best grown on a mount.  The individual flowers are not long lasting but very unusual and very beautiful in coloring and texture.