Comparettia speciosa a tiny orchid

**Dorsetman** · December 10th, 2010, 05:09 AM

This is a tiny orchid ; Comparettia speciosa. Has the interesting trick ( like "shop" phallys and Tolumnias, of starting a branch with a new set of flowers, if the old flower spike is cut back to a node. Here are pics of the July flowering, and then the lastest set of flowers from a branch on the original spike. Flowers 4cm high - big for the plant.
These comparettias are all a great joy ; the main problem is finding plants. I have only three of the species so far , although there are not many more, but most I have never seen listed ; our friends in Ecuador list a couple of hybrids, but do not have them for sale - maybe not big eneough to sell yet, since even flowering size plants fit into a thimble, apart from the leaves - say 3 inches or so long.
Twig epiphytes, I grow them, usually on bark or tree fern bits, sprayed very frequently , twice a day in summer, and at least every other day now. I am trying one plant in S/H as an experiment.

OOPs I seem to have posted the same picture twice, instead of two different ones ... I'll have to sort that out and put the right 2nd pic up, soon....

Daethen · December 10th, 2010, 07:28 AM

Just lovely. I am really starting to like the tiny ones.

**catttan** · December 10th, 2010, 08:12 AM

Very lovely mini.

**Dorsetman** · December 10th, 2010, 08:23 AM

Not , now I look again, that the second pic contributes much, except to show that the 2nd blooming is just as nice, same size, same colour, etc, as the first ; any apparent differences are just lighting or the way I handled levels, in Photoshop etc.,.