The Devil's Excrement

This is the same Oncidium Splendidum of last week, I noticed great contrasts when the light hits it in different ways so I played with it now that all flowers are open. Hope you like it (This is sunlight, not artifical light)

Two nice Venezuelan Cattleyas, On the left Cattleya Gaskelliana, on the right one of my favorites, Cattleya Jenmanii. This particular has very nice flaring.on the petals

This is a Laelia from Mexico, Laelia Anceps “Oaxaquena”. My first orchid ever was a white Anceps with a blue lip.

Above left is a picture of Oncidium Splendidum from Guatemala and Honduras. This is to me one of the most spectacular Oncidiums. It flowers on a one meter spike, send as many as two dozen flowers like the one above. The flowers are two inches in size, making that labellum simply spectacular. This is the first time mine flowers, it only has ten flowers but I just love it. I have had three of these and for some reason the other two died. A friend of mine who has a very good collection of orchids has had the same problem in Caracas. But somehow this one managed to spike and I hope it keeps doing well. Top right, a magnificent Cattelya Lueddemanniana from Venezuela. This is a cross of Augusta x Maruja. Te shape is not perfect but it is simply huge.

Above left one of my best Cattleya Walkeriana from Brazil, the color and shape are excellent, it is a very deep color. Too right:Cirrhopetalum Makoyanum from Asia, it is an oustanding yellow color. The plant has as many as six flowers, I tried taking a picture of all of them, but could not get them all in focus at the same time.

Every week I think that I will not have much to show in another week,
but there are always surprises. This week four species. Flowering should
be really good next year, it is cooler than usual in Caracas (16 C last night), if its
lasts a while, blooming should be spectacular next year.

Two Cattleya Gaskellianas (Venezuela) this week, in the left is a
very large and fragrant purple one, on the right is a Cattleya
Gaskelliana alba, given to me by my great aunt many years ago.

Two uncommon species: On the left Schomburgkia Thomsoniana alba from
Jamaica, on teh right is a Cyrropetalum that had no label, there are so
many varieties of them that it is hard to classify them.

This is the time of the year were flowering is at its lowest, but
somehow I keep getting something to post. Last week I thought there
would be nothing, but there is. Let’s see next week. Above left, the
same Cattleya Nobilior I posted last week, but now with all nine
flowers open. Above right, a bunch of Cattleya Walkeriana Pendentive,
which is clearly not Walkeriana as four flowers never occur in a
Walkeriana. Books say this is a natural cross between Cattleya
Walkeriana and Catlleya Loddigessi.

Above left, Cattleya Walkeriana. This is the first time this
flowers, the flowers are small but the color of the lip is very dark.
Above right a Phalenopsis hybrid from Taiwan.

Yesterday one of the local orchid society’s had its meeting at the
Botanical Garden and held a “FEstival of Latin American Orchids” and
there was a very nice talk by Dr. Garcia Esquivel about some Latin
American species. I took the three orchids I posted last week and this
one above. On the left you can see what a nice bunch of flowers this
Catlleya Nobilior from Brazil has, there are six in flower and
three buds (two not shown). On the right a close up of one of the
flowers.

This is not the time of year for Venezuela’s Cattleya
Lueddemanniana, but these two plants appear not to know this. Note how
much better the one on the left is. Dark lip, well shaped, flat petals.
There is even a hint of flaring on the petals. Love it!

The coerulea or “blue” forms of Cattleya Walkeriana and Cattleya
Nobilior are quite rare, I have a few of these Brazilian species and
this week one of eacg flowered. Top left: Cattleya Walkeriana Coerulea
“Choju” and on the right Cattleya Nobilior coerulea.

Top left: Another Brazilian species Cattleya Schilleriana, it has
very waxy, hard petals and sepals and a spectacular lip. On the right a
hybrid, Slc. Jungle Gem, one of its parents is one of my favorites
Cattleya Aclandie.

Since I did not post last weekend, there are more pictures than usual, all species!

Beautiful buncho of Cattleya Walkeriana alba from Brazil, ythe shape
of the flower is not great as seen on the right, but the lip is
magnificent and the contrast between the white flower and the purple
lip is wonderful!

Two Cattleya Lueddemanniana species from Venezuela: The one on the
left is a recent cross (mislabeled), good shape nice drak lip. The one
on the right is a varietla called “Pajita”, which means little straw
beacuse it is thin, but large.

Top left, Cattleya Percivaliana semi-alba, stinky species from
Venezuela. On the right is Dendrobium Formosum from the area of Burma,
Thailand and Burma..

Top left: Brassia Datacosta (Brassia Edvah Loo x 
Longissima)  Top Right: I don’t have too many Phalenopsis, but
they keep flowering beautifully as if to change my mind.

Left: Cattelya Gaskelliana Blue Dragon x self. The purple color is
absolutely outstanding. It opened yesterday, it may have been premature
to take the picture. Right: This plant was sold to me as Brassovola
Digbyana, but onetime I posted it and someone said it was a hybrid Blc.
Aristocrat. In any case, the Brassavolas are now known asRhyncholaelias as botanists keep changing names to challenge my memory.

Yesterday Carlos Garcia Esquivel came to visit my orchid room. This is
truly an honor. Carlos is a retired medical doctor who is incredibly
knowledgable about orchids. So much that he has a few named after him and has written nuemeorus artcile about orchids.!
He is also an amazingly nice and gentle person. He brought me as
presents the two Cirrhopetali shown below in the second row. We had a
great time talking about orchids for four hours last night.

Cattleya Lueddemanniana Clint McDade x Raga, a cross of two of this beautiful Venezuelan species.

Cirrhopetalum Elizabeth Ann on the left, the whiskers make the flowr
26-28 cm. in length. On the right a hybrid, I will look up the name
later today.

Cattleya Intermedia Periolata from Brazil.

It was indeed premature to take the picture. Here it is fully opened
in all its splendor and beauty. Sophronitis Coccinea var. Aurea!