# Looking for rare, uncommon, strange, unusual orchids



## The Orchid Boy (Dec 17, 2012)

I'd like to get some orchid that is uncommon, rare, or wierd or something that not many people have or have heard of. I have warm condtions, 50%-60% humidity, and T5s. I don't care if it is stinky, wierd, tiny, or whatever, I just would like something that not many people have. I like bulbophyllums and cirhopetalums. I just want something uncommon.


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## cnycharles (Dec 17, 2012)

started like that many years ago. one older book that had many interesting things was rebecca northen's miniature orchid species book


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## NYEric (Dec 17, 2012)

If it's that weird or uncommon how would you get it?

If you look in IOSPE Orchids you can find plenty of uncommon orchids, the hard part is getting some. I've had luck getting some uncommon species on eBay.


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## gonewild (Dec 17, 2012)

The easiest way to find what you want is to look for the most expensive plants. Then you can bet you won't find many other people that have them.


One interesting idea is to look for antique varieties. Try to find divisions of original hybrids that have "history". Or divisions of species that were collected by a famous person.


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## SlipperFan (Dec 17, 2012)

Go to Andy's Orchids. They have lots of unusual stuff.
http://www.andysorchids.com


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## Rick (Dec 17, 2012)

gonewild said:


> The easiest way to find what you want is to look for the most expensive plants. Then you can bet you won't find many other people that have them.



I think there's two parts to that too.
1) Its rare and hard to get,and 
2) Its rare because nobody can keep it alive long enough to get flowers/seed/seedlings.

With the reproductive potential of orchids, there's no reason for something to stay rare, uncommon and high dollar if its easy to grow and propagate.


So with the two combined, you could spend a ton of money just to watch it die.


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## The Orchid Boy (Dec 17, 2012)

Thought about getting a mounted Ascocentrum pumilum from the Plant House and putting it in a mini terrarium.


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## gonewild (Dec 18, 2012)

Rick said:


> I think there's two parts to that too.
> 1) Its rare and hard to get,and
> 2) Its rare because nobody can keep it alive long enough to get flowers/seed/seedlings.
> 
> ...



Yes, and when you have learned how to keep that difficult one alive you will have a truly rare one that no one else has.
(  a ton of money is not worth much anyway)


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## keithrs (Dec 18, 2012)

One I always though was interesting is the dancing orchid.


Bulbo. saltatorum


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## rdlsreno (Dec 18, 2012)

Like my Macrophodanthus cootsii. The genus means big foot. I just sown the seed pod.

Ramon

Macrophodanthus cootsii






Whole plant


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## NYEric (Dec 18, 2012)

Nice Ramon. 
Rare is not the same as uncommon; if it's truly rare and you lose it, how badly would you feel?
BTW uncommon in one place may be very common in another.


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## TyroneGenade (Dec 18, 2012)

Rick said:


> 1) Its rare and hard to get,and
> 2) Its rare because nobody can keep it alive long enough to get flowers/seed/seedlings.


3) Its rare because nobody wants to grow it.


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## Rick (Dec 18, 2012)

rdlsreno said:


> Like my Macrophodanthus cootsii. The genus means big foot. I just sown the seed pod.
> 
> Ramon
> 
> Macrophodanthus cootsii



I never even heard of this genus Ramon.

Very cool!

How did you come across this plant?


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## Rick (Dec 18, 2012)

TyroneGenade said:


> 3) Its rare because nobody wants to grow it.



Then it won't be cool enough for Orchid Boy to want in the first placeoke:


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## Stone (Dec 18, 2012)

I want (need) one of these

http://www.flickriver.com/photos/[email protected]/popular-interesting/


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## Rick (Dec 18, 2012)

Stone said:


> I want (need) one of these
> 
> http://www.flickriver.com/photos/[email protected]/popular-interesting/



Me first!!!


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## NYEric (Dec 18, 2012)

Stone said:


> I want (need) one of these
> 
> http://www.flickriver.com/photos/[email protected]/popular-interesting/



Oh, so many nice orchids! :sob: 
Thanks for sharing.


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## goods (Dec 18, 2012)

Orchid Boy- Look into Lepanthes and some of the other less mainstream Pleurothallids. Scaphosepalums are another really cool genus that isn't grown terribly often. I've had luck with a few of them in W-I conditions. Others, like mini Bulbos (especially PNG ones if you can find them are awesome...talk to Chris/check out his python tank), also fit into your category. I think a trip or call over to Andy's is in order :evil:




Stone said:


> I want (need) one of these
> 
> http://www.flickriver.com/photos/[email protected]/popular-interesting/



There have been at least a couple imports of this one recently. Definitely not cheap, though. I was offered one at a "friend price", essentially cost, and it was well over $100 for something like a 3 bulb division.


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## NYEric (Dec 18, 2012)

When I open that link I get hundreds of photos.


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## goods (Dec 18, 2012)

I just assumed they were referring to Bulb. kubahense, the first two photos in the link since it's not readily available.


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## paphreek (Dec 18, 2012)

Stone said:


> I want (need) one of these
> 
> http://www.flickriver.com/photos/[email protected]/popular-interesting/



Check out this thread: http://www.slippertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20367


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## Rick (Dec 18, 2012)

paphreek said:


> Check out this thread: http://www.slippertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20367



I remember that.

Soon it will be available to all.


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## SlipperFan (Dec 18, 2012)

NYEric said:


> Oh, so many nice orchids! :sob:
> Thanks for sharing.


I agree! WOW!


Rick said:


> I remember that.
> 
> Soon it will be available to all.


Oh? I'd like one of those...


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## NYEric (Dec 18, 2012)

If you want rare, I think Jason O's Bulbo grandiflorum album is very rare, like 1/5!


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## goods (Dec 18, 2012)

SlipperFan said:


> Oh? I'd like one of those...



Same here! 

Eric, where's the grandiflorum album posted? I must have missed it.


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## The Orchid Boy (Jan 4, 2013)

How common is huntleya? I recently 'rediscovered' this genus. I love the little waxy flowers. How much would they cost?


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## NYEric (Jan 5, 2013)

goods said:


> Same here!
> 
> Eric, where's the grandiflorum album posted? I must have missed it.


it was an "aureum" and he recently posted it again. 



The Orchid Boy said:


> How common is huntleya? I recently 'rediscovered' this genus. I love the little waxy flowers. How much would they cost?



Huntleyas aren't uncommon. You can get them <$35. Chysis are similar and there are some interesting blue and albums around.
If you want I can email you Peruflora's import list but you have to hurry to get an order for the California show in time.


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## goods (Jan 8, 2013)

Thanks Eric!

Huntleyas aren't terribly uncommon, but they definitely don't think they're often grown. They seem to be underappreciated. If you like them, you may want to look into Cochleanthes and Kefersteinia. Chysis are cool too! Tenman hasa bluish Chysis species that I really like.


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## Dido (Jan 9, 2013)

a friend of me has now Spathoglottis ixioides
they look grate


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## Leo Schordje (Jan 9, 2013)

There are a lot of really nice orchids, that are still 'common' in their home ranges that are not grown often in the US. As mentioned by Eric NY the Huntleya Alliance is one, another is the 'lesser' members of the Coelogyne alliance. I have 2 clones with different colored flowers of Chelonistele sulfurea, which is a nice compact species, still common all through it native range, but almost never offered commercially by US growers. Half way between Coelogyne and Dendrochilum, prices would be in the range of a paph seedling. PM me if you want one. 

the white-ish flowered one from Ron-NY





and the shell pink flowered one from Carolina Orchids.


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## wjs2nd (Jan 9, 2013)

Wow, I like the pink. How do you grow them Leo?


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## The Orchid Boy (Jan 9, 2013)

Thanks for letting me know Leo. I'll think about it. I've got a flask coming from Tom Kalina so that'll keep me happy and busy for a while.


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## Leo Schordje (Jan 10, 2013)

The Chelonistele species seem to be easy. I grow them with my Paphs, pot them so they don't get dry between waterings. And they seem to grow year round, no rest or anything required. They seem to bloom only once per year.


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## The Orchid Boy (Jan 10, 2013)

I came across two other orchids that are interesting/different (at leat to me). They are Schomburgkia christinae and Oeceoclades gracillima.


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## Leo Schordje (Jan 10, 2013)

Both sound neat. Some of the Oeceoclades have fascinating foliage, wild markings much like a jewel orchid, but hard leathery leaves, not at all the tender things that jewel orchids can be. (I lost a nice Macodes to slugs a while back).


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## SlipperFan (Jan 10, 2013)

I just looked up Oeceoclades gracillima. Now I need one of these.


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## cnycharles (Jan 10, 2013)

Leo Schordje said:


> There are a lot of really nice orchids, that are still 'common' in their home ranges that are not grown often in the US. As mentioned by Eric NY the Huntleya Alliance is one, another is the 'lesser' members of the Coelogyne alliance. I have 2 clones with different colored flowers of Chelonistele sulfurea, which is a nice compact species, still common all through it native range, but almost never offered commercially by US growers. Half way between Coelogyne and Dendrochilum, prices would be in the range of a paph seedling. PM me if you want one.



those are nice


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## The Orchid Boy (Mar 14, 2013)

I've recently become interested in "resurrection orchids" as I like to call them. I like orchids that form small, fat pseudobulbs and are tropical deciduous plants. I like when the leaves die back and there are just bulbs and it looks dead, then the leaves and flowers come up and it comes back to life. I like pleione but I think I heard they need to go into the fridge. *What are some species and genera that do that and are intermediate to warm growing?* I'd like if they could be left under lights in my growing area but if they need moved to where there is less light or a little cooler temperatures, that's fine.


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## Ron-NY (Mar 14, 2013)

The Orchid Boy said:


> I've recently become interested in "resurrection orchids" as I like to call them. I like orchids that form small, fat pseudobulbs and are tropical deciduous plants. I like when the leaves die back and there are just bulbs and it looks dead, then the leaves and flowers come up and it comes back to life. I like pleione but I think I heard they need to go into the fridge. *What are some species and genera that do that and are intermediate to warm growing?* I'd like if they could be left under lights in my growing area but if they need moved to where there is less light or a little cooler temperatures, that's fine.



What genus are these "resurrection orchids"?


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## The Orchid Boy (Mar 14, 2013)

Ron-NY said:


> What genus are these "resurrection orchids"?



You tell me! Orchids like Catasetum, Pleione, Habenaria, Stenoglottis longifolia, ect. Are there more? Orchids like these.


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## goods (Mar 14, 2013)

I think you already answered part of your question 

Catasetum, Cycnoches, Clowesia, Cyrtopodium, some Dendrobiums, Lycastes like aromatica, Habenaria, Cynorkis, Corybas, Pterostylis, some terrestrials like Bletilla...

All of those do relatively well in those temps. and go dormant for at least part of the year.


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## mrhappyrotter (Mar 14, 2013)

A quick search for "rare orchid" on ebay shows such incredibly hard to find and unsual paphs as bellatulum, Prince Edward of York and Saint Swithin. I've literally not never seen more than several dozens of sites and vendors that sell them.

I know those are all pretty impressive in terms of rarity and how uncommon they are. If you're looking for something a little less, rare and unusual, but still uncommon and hard to find, you might try out your local Lowe's Home Improvement or Home Depot stores. You have to work very hard to look over the Christmas trees in August to find the rare and unusual noid phalaenopsis and dendrobiums.

// I kid. I kid.


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## The Orchid Boy (Mar 14, 2013)

:rollhappy:

Thanks for the help goods. I'll have to google those and find some I like.


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## The Orchid Boy (Mar 15, 2013)

I found one, Catasetum*tenebrosum. I read a lot on how to care for catsetums: high light for female flowers, lower light for male flowers, likes quite a bit of water and can be heavy feeders. Anything in particular I should know about this species? How tall does it get?


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## goods (Mar 15, 2013)

I had tenebrosum once. It wasn't the healthiest piece and never thrived. It's a species I will try again, though. The ones I have probably get to around 24" when you account for the leaves and bulbs. I water very often in the growing season and give pretty high light (probably close to Catt. light, though I've bloomed them successfully under Phal. light) When the leaves begin to yellow, stop watering altogether. Once the new roots are ~3" begin watering again. I've grown them mounted and potted, though I get much bigger bulbs when grown potted. You can grow it in sphag and just repot yearly just prior to watering new growths.


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## limuhead (Mar 15, 2013)

NYEric said:


> Nice Ramon.
> Rare is not the same as uncommon; if it's truly rare and you lose it, how badly would you feel?
> BTW uncommon in one place may be very common in another.



Nothing could be more true. I see people trying to sell orchids for big money on Ebay and they say they are 'rare' but I can get some of the same stuff at the farmers market in Hilo for five bucks. One mans exclusive rare orchid is another mans swap meet beer money...


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## wjs2nd (Mar 15, 2013)

The Orchid Boy said:


> I found one, Catasetum*tenebrosum. I read a lot on how to care for catsetums: high light for female flowers, lower light for male flowers, likes quite a bit of water and can be heavy feeders. Anything in particular I should know about this species? How tall does it get?



Search google imagine! I have seen catasetums and their hybrids planted in 5 gallon buckets. I'm guessing the bottom half of the bucket was filled with packing peanuts or something a like. Through reading I have discovered they bloom better kept in divisions of 3-5 bulbs. Any higher and the plant should be divided.


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## The Orchid Boy (Mar 16, 2013)

Maybe not C. tenebrosum then. From my light to my shelf is exactly 24". Any shorter/more compact growing catasetums?


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## wjs2nd (Mar 17, 2013)

Sorry, I should clarify. I have seen catasetums in 5 gallon buckets, not sure if it was tenebrosum.


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## The Orchid Boy (Mar 18, 2013)

I found some pictures of C. tenebrosum and it was a pretty big plant. I found that C. denticulatum was compact though.


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## Leo Schordje (Mar 18, 2013)

Add to the list of 'resurection orchids', deciduous Calanthe and southeast asian Habenaria, such as Habenaria rhodocheila, carnea, medusa and erichmichaelii. Also Pectilis species.


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## Gcroz (Mar 18, 2013)

Ok, not gonna read the entire thread, so forgive me if someone else has said this: try Oberonia!

i recently have gotten interested in this genus of micro-mini flowered plants. I find them very easy to care for and bloom and they can be a real show stopper when they become specimen size. They also take up very little room. If you are interested, let me know and I can put you onto some sources.

You'll need a magnifying glass and/or a serious macro lens in order to see the shape of the flower though!

The pictures are of my Oberonia anthropophora.


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## NYEric (Mar 18, 2013)

They are a fun group. There was a nice one on the auction list!


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## cnycharles (Mar 19, 2013)

it looked pretty big even from back where I was sitting (though most things were specimen-sized)


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## Gcroz (Mar 19, 2013)

cnycharles said:


> it looked pretty big even from back where I was sitting (though most things were specimen-sized)



Some of the plants are indeed big, but I challenge you to call the flowers big! :rollhappy:


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## cnycharles (Mar 20, 2013)

I don't know if i've ever 'seen' an oberonia flower before


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## NYEric (Mar 20, 2013)

That's a good point. I like small orchids but most oberonias make playstele umbellata blooms look large.


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## Gcroz (Mar 20, 2013)

cnycharles said:


> I don't know if i've ever 'seen' an oberonia flower before



see pics above! Looks like Pippy Longstocking with wings to me!

Just for clarification... this is a specimen size Oberonia Anthropophora... 10 growths, 4 previous inflorescences and 6 maturing currently. Should bloom for the May NHOS meeting. My hand is in the picture to give scale....


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## Gcroz (Mar 20, 2013)

I should add that I have 5 other Oberonia plants coming along


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## cnycharles (Mar 21, 2013)

Gcroz said:


> see pics above! Looks like Pippy Longstocking with wings to me!



interesting! nice pic just getting some semblance of flower shape being that small!

btw, the greenhouse I had thought about visiting in nh about a job when I went to the nhos auction doesn't seem to be interested since they have completely avoided replying to my emails, even just to tell me yes or no if they are interested (quite rude), so doesn't look like i'll be making another trip very soon. it's amazing that in this day and age when it is so easy to communicate ((reply- yes/no) 15 seconds) seems impossible for some people


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## Gcroz (Mar 21, 2013)

cnycharles said:


> interesting! nice pic just getting some semblance of flower shape being that small!
> 
> btw, the greenhouse I had thought about visiting in nh about a job when I went to the nhos auction doesn't seem to be interested since they have completely avoided replying to my emails, even just to tell me yes or no if they are interested (quite rude), so doesn't look like i'll be making another trip very soon. it's amazing that in this day and age when it is so easy to communicate ((reply- yes/no) 15 seconds) seems impossible for some people



Seems the way it is right now. I've been applying for jobs for over a year, only 2 interviews and maybe only 5 employers have ever responded. What Greenhouse was it?


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## cnycharles (Mar 21, 2013)

what field have you been applying for? (pm for the rest) it's been a little while that i've been looking around, but at first I needed a break, and then gave time to other growers to find local jobs. then after that, the places that I applied or interviewed at took weeks to get back to me to either tell me that I wasn't qualified to interview or that they had hired someone else. the last one I mention a former co-worker was hired for the job (didn't tell me he was going to apply, long ways away for him) and he told me that the job was filled weeks before the owner got around to telling me... drag things out and then there are a few months already gone by.


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## Gcroz (Mar 22, 2013)

Posted a picture of my Oberonia setigera in bloom on a new thread. I will get pics of the flowers, but need to get out my tripod first.

I can't speak more highly of Oberonia... love them. Very easy! this is how i grow them:

1. South facing side of my greenhouse, with their backs to the sun.
2. They hang under Vandas and get a little dappling from that, but not much. They get watered every day, depending on time of year often more than once per day.
3. Fertilized every watering.
4. Temps 55 at night, and a minimum of 68 during the day in Winter. Summer temps are whatever Mother Nature throws our way.

If anyone has any questions on Oberonia, let me know. I'd be happy to answer if I can.


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## biothanasis (Mar 22, 2013)

If you really want unusual orchids you should search for Ophrys (although they need some cold-wet winters and hot-dry summers) or some genera from Australia, e.g. Caladenia, Caleana major, Diuris, Thelymitra or even epiphytic ones, like Sarcochilus....


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## The Orchid Boy (Mar 26, 2013)

What's the ID of this masdevallia on ebay?- http://www.ebay.com/itm/JOHN-BOYS-M...989?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item589de9661d 

I found it really cheap and thought it may be good for me to perfect my masdevallia skills on it.


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## NYEric (Mar 26, 2013)

biothanasis said:


> If you really want unusual orchids you should search for Ophrys (although they need some cold-wet winters and hot-dry summers) or some genera from Australia, e.g. Caladenia, Caleana major, Diuris, Thelymitra or even epiphytic ones, like Sarcochilus....


After our STF Australian adventure I know that laws changed and it is almost impossible to get Aussie orchids.  The Ophrys may be available from the UK. Again, not rare just difficult to get due to CITES and fees!!


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## The Orchid Boy (Apr 8, 2013)

So I got 2 new orchids from the Plant House that I'd say fit into the "unusual" category. 

Masdevallia Angel Tears






Catasetum Frilly Doris





*Any tips on how to pot the masdevallia to keep its roots cool?* I have a slotted clay pot and I thought about putting a small layer of small rocks on the bottom and then pot it in sphagnum/charcoal/gravel mix. I had a problem with my previous masdevallia and keeping it too wet. It is now in S/H, in a clay pot, top dressed with sphagnum.


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## The Orchid Boy (Apr 8, 2013)

Anyone know about what month(s) or time of year the above hybrids bloom?


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## goldenrose (Apr 8, 2013)

Sounds like you're on the right track for the masdie! When will it bloom? What's the parentage, do a search & see if something kicks up for bloom times, that should give you an idea.
Frilly Doris - love her! Most catasetums are at the end of the bloom season now, so next winter.


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## The Orchid Boy (Apr 9, 2013)

I looked up Masd. amplexa (one of the parents) and it blooms summer through fall. I found pictures of the Masdevallia Angel Tears ranging from January, May, and September. So I guess it can vary a lot.

So how does the cycle for catasetums go? Dormant (winter), new growth (spring), mature growth (summer), blooming (fall)?

And yes, I do love the flowers on this catesetum! Just love them better than any other catasetum, even Fdk.After Dark. There is rarely an orchid that has blooms that I love this much!


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## Berthold (Apr 9, 2013)

I can recommand Tetramirca elegans


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## Heather (Apr 9, 2013)

Nice masdie! I've been starting to think maybe I could grow those here. Too bad there aren't any in the auction!


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## cnycharles (Apr 9, 2013)

Heather said:


> Nice masdie! I've been starting to think maybe I could grow those here. Too bad there aren't any in the auction!



I have a little masdevallia impostor I received in a recent society raffle table that I 'could' put in the auction, if the winner agreed to give me back a piece after they grew it up... it's not that big right now


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## Ron-NY (Apr 9, 2013)

dockrillia cucumerinum is a very weird Australian species. The leaves look like tiny pickles


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## goldenrose (Apr 14, 2013)

The Orchid Boy said:


> I looked up Masd. amplexa (one of the parents) and it blooms summer through fall. I found pictures of the Masdevallia Angel Tears ranging from January, May, and September. So I guess it can vary a lot. Good researching!
> 
> So how does the cycle for catasetums go? Dormant (winter), new growth (spring), mature growth (summer), blooming (fall)? or winter when you think it's dormant & it has no leaves!
> 
> And yes, I do love the flowers on this catesetum! Just love them better than any other catasetum, even Fdk.After Dark. There is rarely an orchid that has blooms that I love this much!





Heather said:


> Nice masdie! I've been starting to think maybe I could grow those here. Too bad there aren't any in the auction!


Ruth has some for week 2 and I'll throw in a couple! I have divisions of Jelly Belly & Maui Dean, both are Copper Angel offspring and are bred for heat tolerance.


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