Two pleuorothallids - one white, one black...

[Dorsetman]

The white one is Masdevallia tovarensis ( I think tovarensis means comrade in Russian ?) Largeish flowers for a masda, maybe approx. 3 inches high. The stems, which are triangular in cross-section, will re-flower in later years, if left on. I am particularly pleased with this one, it has the largest flowers so far, since I bought it for a very nominal sum knowing that it was quite rootless. A spell in sphagnum moss, in a plastic bag, soon produced some new roots, and it flowered after maybe 18 months, but much smaller than this. Must be quite happy now, I think.

The black one is Dracula anthracina ; flowers of the middle-ish size for a Drac i.e. (also) about 3 inches or more from top to bottom; a first flowering since it crossed the Atlantic almost 12 months ago. Dracs do quite well for me - I have some with a dozen spikes, but they are very difficult to show - even getting them there is a bit of a nightmare , and photographing them just as bad. In this case the black colour was an added difficulty . The best way I find is to stretch a line out between a couple of trees, hang the plant from that, lie flat on my back underneath the plant and point the camera at the sky ; not to be thought of today, when in my garden the temperature is about 4˚ and the remains of last night's frost is still on the ground. So I brought it into the house . My wife saw it and asked why I had brought it in ; I said to photograph ; she said but it is not in flower - took a long time before she could accept that this is the flower, and then she said "why bother "..Orchid growers, and pleuro' fanatics may think differently ?

[Chris in Hamilton]

Both nice but the tovarensis is very special! That "why bother" can be so frustrating because no matter how well and logically you explain, the better half shrugs their shoulders or worse still, nods off.

[JDT]

Nicely done

[sciencegal]

I like both of them, neither of which I can grow although my few masd's have perked up when I put them in a terrarium. They did not have good roots when I got them a year and half ago so maybe I should not give up quite yet. I guess not having a better half to have to explain anything to can be an advantage.

[ksriramkumar]

Both look very nice. Pity I could not grow them in my weather.

[catttan]

Well done Geoff. Love both of them.

[PaphMadMan]

Both are very nice, but the contrast of the colors on the similar shaped flowers is especially striking.

The Russian word for comrade is similar (tovarishch in Roman script), but tovarensis means it comes from near a town called Tovar in Venezuela. An -ensis or -ense ending means it is from the place name that precedes it.

[Azizan]

First time seeing black colour orchid. So precious!

[zainal abidin]

Both are beautiful so sad cant grow here very unique and weird for Dracula.