Epidendrum species

IMG_9425, originally uploaded by Duane McDowell.

Isla Santa Cruz, Galapagos, December 2005

Epidendrum species

Epidendrum species, originally uploaded by Duane McDowell.

Septimo Paraiso Lodge near Mindo, Ecuador

Epidendrum embreei

Epidendrum embreei, originally uploaded by Duane McDowell.

Tony and Barbara Nunnery's home, Tandayapa, Ecuador. December, 2005

Odontoglossum sp. - Ecuador

IMG_1329, originally uploaded by Duane McDowell.

Elleanthus species - Andes above Mindo, Ecuador

Elleanthus species - Andes above Mindo, Ecuador, originally uploaded by Duane McDowell.

On our first day in mainland Ecuador, we took a bus to a high-elevation lake area. This Elleanthus was growing terrestrially in full sun.

Pleurothallis species - Andes above Mindo, Ecuador

Pleurothallis species - Andes above Mindo, Ecuador, originally uploaded by Duane McDowell.
Growing terrestrially in full sun at high altitude. I don't know the taxonomy of this group well enough to know if I've even got the right genus...  I think a lot of these are considered Stelis now.  Definitely a tough plant - this was a harsh environment.

Myoxanthus reymondii - Hacienda La Bravera, Merida, Venezuela

Myoxanthus reymondii - Hacienda La Bravera, Merida, Venezuela, originally uploaded by Duane McDowell.

Encyclia species

Encyclia species, originally uploaded by Duane McDowell.

Hacienda La Bravera, Merida, Venezuela

Scaphosepalum merinoi

Scaphosepalum merinoi, originally uploaded by Duane McDowell.

Great sequential bloomer. The plant is 4-5" tall and the blooms are about 2" across. It throws lots of spikes all the time, so it's almost always in bloom. I grow it on the cool side of intermediate in my terrarium. The spikes are a little long (8-10"), but they run out horizontal from the base of the plant, so they don't bump up against the top of the terrarium.
http://www.ecuagenera.com

Masdevallia mendozae

Masdevallia mendozae, originally uploaded by Duane McDowell.

Hugely floriferous species, very easy to grow. The plant is about 4" tall, and the blooms are about 2" long.
http://www.ecuagenera.com

Slc. Dream Catcher (Bright Angel x Sc. Beaufort)

Slc. Dream Catcher (Bright Angel x Sc. Beaufort), originally uploaded by Duane McDowell.

Great hybrid. Heavy substance.
These are a great deal.
http://www.hrnurseries.com/

Lc. Mini Song 'Petite' AM/AOS (Mini Purple x Mari's Song)

Lc. Mini Song 'Petite' AM/AOS (Mini Purple x Mari's Song), originally uploaded by Duane McDowell.

Lovely sparkling texture in the bloom. Good substance and very fragrant. It blooms every few months, too.

Duane McDowell: Muscarella species

Duane McDowell: Muscarella species: "Muscarella species P03901, originally uploaded by Duane McDowell.Easy to see how these little guys might arouse the romantic interests of bu..."

Lepanthes aeora (Side view)

Lepanthes aeora (Side view), originally uploaded by Duane McDowell.

This is an everblooming and very vigorous plant. It's not terribly showy (except in close-up), but it's a joy.
I grow it on tree fern in the terrarium.
http://www.ecuagenera.com

Restrepia cuprea 'Eichenfels'

Restrepia cuprea 'Eichenfels', originally uploaded by Duane McDowell.

Nice big flowers (about 1 1/2") on a 4" plant. I love the rich coppery color in the fused sepals.
It blooms off and on all year.
I grow this at the greenhouse at the University, which is a little warmer than would be optimal. To make up for the excess heat, I grow it in a clay pot which I have tucked inside another clay pot. I have sphagnum moss in between the two, which keeps the roots of the plant nice and cool. It seems to work quite well.
I set a pod on this recently, but I didn't harvest it in time - it split in 35 days; lots of seed... I'll have to remake the cross.

Sophronitis coccinea 'Fourth Dimension'

Sophronitis coccinea, originally uploaded by Duane McDowell.

Beautiful species from Brazil. The wild type can be really tricky to grow, but they have been line bred for flower quality and ease of growth for many generations in Japan, where this plant came from originally.
This is a plant that was selected by J and L orchids at the Tokyo Dome show.
I grow it in a terrarium on the cool side of intermediate, right up close to the lights. It seems to be a very vigorous grower.

Platystele orectoglossa - Ecuador

Platystele orectoglossa - Ecuador, originally uploaded by Duane McDowell.

Another nice miniature. I grow it in the terrarium on the cool side of intermediate. I love the blooms and how long it stays in flower. The spikes get a little rangy after a while - I cut them off when they start looking ratty.
This one came from Orchids Limited here in MN (http://www.orchidweb.com)
Originally from Ecuagenera (http://www.ecuagenera.com).

Lepanthes calodictyon

Lepanthes calodictyon, originally uploaded by Duane McDowell.

This is the most commonly grown of the Lepanthes species.  It is one of the easiest to grow well, and it blooms just about continuously.  It is, of course, grown primarily for its foliage.  I grow mine in a small chunk of tree fern that I've drilled a hole in.  I wrapped the roots in sphagnum and put them into the hole in the tree fern, so it's really like a small tree fern pot.
I grow on the cool side of intermediate in a terrarium.  I water daily.
http://www.ecuagenera.com

Lepanthes telipogoniflora

Lepanthes telipogoniflora, originally uploaded by Duane McDowell.

This is a newly discovered species from Colombia. It grows easily in intermediate conditions - purportedly it can grow warm, but my conditions are on the cool side and it does great there, too.
I love the huge flowers (relative to the tiny plant). If this were a full-sized cattleya, the blooms would be 18-24" across! Of course, then it wouldn't fit in my terrarium.
The plant blooms off and on all year, with blooms coming sequentially one at a time on each inflorescence. I got mine from Orqideas del Valle (http://www.orquivalle.com). They also sell little glass "bubbles" that are great for growing a single Lepanthes in normal household conditions. This species is ideal for bubble growing.
A friend referred to this as the "Satellite Dish Orchid."
Also available from:
http://www.ecuagenera.com

Rubellia (Pleurothallis) rubella - Orange Lip Form

Rubellia (Pleurothallis) rubella - Orange Lip Form, originally uploaded by Duane McDowell.

This is another cutie from Colombia (formerly known as Pleurothallis rubella). It's a strong grower and easy bloomer for me (on the cool side of intermediate in a terrarium). It blooms sequentially, one bloom at a time on each inflorescence.
There is a more typical form with a bright red lip. I got this one from Lynn O'Schaughessy originally.

Lepanthes niesseniae

Lepanthes niesseniae, originally uploaded by Duane McDowell.

Lepanthes niesseniae is a relatively newly discovered species from Colombia. It is named for Andrea Niessen of Orquideas del Valle in Cali, Colombia (www.orquivalle.com).
The plant is vigorous and floriferous. It blooms sequentially, one bloom at a time. Like many of the Lepanthes, the leaves have a sparkling texture; the plant is beautiful even when it is not in bloom. I grow it on the cool side of intermediate in a terrarium.
Also available from:
http://www.ecuagenera.com

Muscarella Species

Muscarella Species, originally uploaded by Duane McDowell.

This unknown Muscarella is one that I got from Lynne O'Schaughnessy. It has been a tremendous grower, and it usually has at least one bloom. It is a sequential bloomer. I like the tight, tufted growth habit and the way the blooms are displayed just above the foliage.
This is in my terrarium, on the cool side of intermediate. It's on a piece of tree fern. I water it daily.

Lepanthes lindleyana

Lepanthes lindleyana, originally uploaded by Duane McDowell.

Another miniature from Costa Rica.

Lepanthes erinacea

Lepanthes erinacea, originally uploaded by Duane McDowell.

Lepanthes erinacea is a miniature orchid species from Costa Rica. It has small leathery leaves on top of wiry stems, and is in bloom constantly. Lepanthes in general like to be kept moist. I grow this one on a piece of EcoWeb, and water it daily. It's in my terrarium, where the humidity stays quite high.