Cattleya Alliance Species

This will be the last for a while in my series of orchid shots on a dark background. This is the same species I posted recently, but a close-up of a single flower. All the species in the genus Sophronitis are from Brazil and all have been recently reclassified as Cattleya, but I've continued to use the older names since those are the names to which I'm accustomed.

Belonging to the same general group of orchids as the previous post (both are related to Cattleya) this tiny species from Ecuador does not look at all like the previous. The flowers, though bright, are very small, only a bit over one centimeter in size. They are also non-resupinate, which means that the flowers do not twist around on their stem as they open so the lip is held downward. Most orchids do this and if the flower stem is examined closely the evidence of this twisting can be seen.

There are a number of species in the genus, Sophronitis (now reclassified as Cattleya). They are all from Brazil and are some of the most desirable or orchids for their bright red and orange colors and for their potential in hybridizing. They are not the easiest plants to grow, however, preferring cooler temperatures and good light. This is one of the smaller species, though it has very large flowers for the size of the plant. The photo illustrates another feature of some of these species also: the flowers increase dramatically in size after opening, often doubling their size, as is evident from the two flowers in this photo, one recently opened and still much smaller than the other flower.

I believe this is Cattleya mossiae but lost track of the name, something rather easy to do when photographing orchids at a show, and this was photographed at our spring show. It is also the last post for a while in the series of orchid photos I've been putting up for my 100x:2014 project.

Epidendrum escobarianum is from Ecuador and is semi-pendant in its growth habit. It is cool-growing and has beautifully pattered foliage and flowers that over two inches tall (6cm). There are more photos of the plant and flowers at the link below.

One more shot of my tetraploid Sophronitis. The blooms were slightly misshapen this time, though I have no idea why, but are still striking. The plant is in our local show tomorrow. orchidsinbloom-ron.blogspot.com/2013/02/sophronitis-cocci...

Here's another picture of my 4N (tetraploid) Sophronitis. The first year it bloomed with one flower, this year with two and hopefully does even better next year. orchidsinbloom-ron.blogspot.com/2013/02/sophronitis-cocci...

Now known as Cattleya sophronitis, this Brazilian species has been used to breed reds into the Cattleya alliance, but is spectacular in its own right. This clone is the result of intensive breeding and is a tetraploid with very heavy substance and excellent form. orchidsinbloom-ron.blogspot.com/2013/02/sophronitis-cocci...

I've posted this previously. In this shot, however, the tiny size of the plant itself is evident in relation to the flowers.