Porroglossum tripollex

Porroglossum is a genus of miniature orchids all of which have spring-loaded moveable, insect-trapping lips.  When the flower is disturbed by a visiting insect, the lip springs up trapping the insect against the column and hopefully effecting pollination.  The genus is related to Masdevallia and includes about 50 species.

In these photos the flowers all have their insect-trapping lips in the open position, except for the flower in the last photo.  The plant is difficult to photograph with the lips open because the slightest disturbance cause the lips to snap shot.  The flowers are 1.5 cm on 6-8 flower spikes on a 3 cm plant.

This small plant is Porroglossum tripollex from Ecuador.  I have two of these, one with brown "tails" and this with yellow.  The flower looks to me like a bird's beak, but tripollex means "three thumbs," a resemblance I do not see.  It is cool to cold growing and comes from montane forests.

Trisetella regia

Trisetella regia is, relatively speaking, the giant of the genus, and well-named regia or "regal."  Most of the plants in the genus are tiny, only a few centimeters tall, with small flowers (1.5-2 cm) on short flower spikes.  This species is 7 cm tall with long 20 cm flower spikes and 4 cm flowers.  The flowers are typical in shape and color for the genus and have the long "tails" for which the genus is named.  Their obvious resemblance to Masdevallias had them classified as Masdevallias at one time.

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 hirtzii

Very typical of the section of Masdevallia to which it belongs (Saltatrices) with its brightly colored, tubular flowers, Masdevallia hirtzii is from Ecuador and Peru.  It is a very small plant, only 8 cm tall, and produces an abundance of 4 cm flowers if well grown.  It is supposed to be temperature tolerant but I grow my plant intermediate to cool in sphagnum moss in a net pot.  It blooms faithfully for me every year in late autumn and winter.

Buccella dynastes

Also known as Masdevallia dynastes, this small species is from Ecuador.  The flowers are 2 cm from end to end and the plant 10 cm tall.  It blooms faithfully late winter or spring, but seems to prefer being mounted since the plant tends to grow up out of a pot.  It is said to be temperature tolerant but my plant is grown with other cool-temperature orchids.

Dryadella barrowii

This is Dryadella barrowii from Ecuador.  I purchased it as something entirely different species but am very happy with this rather rare Dryadella.  The leaves are about 8 cm and the flowers have a spread of 2 cm.  Like the rest of the Dryadellas it produces a lot of flowers when it blooms and blooms faithfully for me every fall.

Masdevallia mendozae

Masdevallia mendozae is a cool-growing species from the highlands of Ecuador.  It is one of the species in section Saltatrices, a group of species with brightly colored tubular flowers that are lined with glandular hairs, visible in some of these pictures.  It does well for me for a while and then declines and is now coming back once again.  It seems to go into decline when the potting mix becomes stale, so I've been keeping it fresh.

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.