Richard never looked better. Good pics, Elaine.

Jim

I need some advice about an orchid I have purchased, a variety I know absolutely nothing about. These three plants are Oerstedella centradenia, a reed stem Epidendrum. Several of the plants are in bloom and the flowers grow in clusters on the reed stems. The flowers are really tiny, approximately 1/2-3/4" in diameter. All the plants are mounted on cork.

Notice the two pictures of the multiple, 4-8" roots that grow off a section of the stem(s).

Does anyone have experience in growing this compact/miniature orchid?

Is the care of these orchids any different than the cattleya alliance?

Do I propagate this plant by sectioning the reed stem just below the cluster of roots and pot it/mount it?

Good looking plants of this, Ken! I have a smallish plant for some years and it is also mounted. I grow it fairly bright, water daily and it is in bud now, it will bloom for weeks. And yes, you can take the rooted pieces and mount them next to it or on their own.
I think you will like this Orchid!

Elaine, I agree with Jim!

Thank you, Ursula. I am forcing myself to go in different directions to expand my collection. My first love is the cattleya alliance orchids (and they will probably always be my favorites) and since I have so many of those I hope not to purchase/trade orchids that have radically different growing needs.

My plants have reed stems that are approximately 12" long. Is that about the maximum size they will get?

Here is what Andy's has on it http://andysorchids.com/pictur... (Epidendrum) centradenia

That sounds like good size plants, mine are a LOT shorter! It will fit right in with your Cattleyas.

I took a ride down to Silva Orchids yesterday and posted some pictures from the Open House here:
The thread "Silva Orchids Open House January 23. - 26. 2014 in Neptune, NJ" in Orchids forum
I had a really good time and came home with a few nice plants, which I will now post into the "I bought in 2014"

Yep, that looks exactly the same as my plants, though my flowers are certainly not 1" in diameter. The 12" length fits though.

Great pics every one ! Last night was the first night I've been able to run the greenhouse heat on "Low" for I think several weeks now. No new blooms to post but will have some for the Anticipation thread. We are actually supposed to be above 50º for the next couple nights then another chill.
Uggg, but I'm glad to have this little warm up. I did see my Cym. Sara Jean is finally putting up a spike, guess we just weren't cool enough before as she's usually blooming more towards the beginning of Jan.

Sounds good!
This is the coldest Winter so far in many many years around here. NPR mentioned "Long John-Tuesday's" ( ) temperatures this morning, going again down to 0 degr F this week. Booo!
Can't wait to see some warm sunshine.

I just saw great weather news concerning my NE Mississippi area. We are only going to have sub-freezing temperatures for 36 hrs. rather than 72 hrs.

Dull, grey and a little bit drizzly today here, but as Mj says, at least we will have a couple of warm nights. Last night was the first in a week that I didn't have to cover all my veggies, and I even left the greenhouse covers off the orchids. They have their poor little faces getting a little bit of good natural light today. Back to schlepping and covering on Tuesday night, according to the forecast.
A new spike starting to open on Gerberara Snow Ballet.

Nice!!

My Blc Liese Pigors x Drumbeat opened the first spike this season. I picked up in 2004 at a visit to Oak Hill Gardens 2 seedlings of this cross from their free grab boxes and silly me planted them together into Ecoweb. Now they are of course quite different and my not so favorite sibling is now in bloom. The "better one" (IMHO) always blooms a little later. I almost threw them away as I didn't like these blooms at all at first. But even this one is getting better/ produces blooms with better substance. The scent is very pretty!


The Dendrochilum bicallosum looks really nice right now ( as glumaceum is starting up too)


and look at this tiny thing! This is Vanda teretifolia with a surprise bloom, a tiny flower on a very small plant. ( from Ooi Leng Sun a couple of years ago)

Whoo, boy! You've got the purple floof going on that catt, Ursula. The tiny Vanda is really amazing.

Last look at my Onc. Copper Scarab 'Brass Brethren' that has been in bloom with a nice fragrance for over two months! Cool weather sure prolongs the bloom life, anyway . . and I had to walk by the big NOID on my way in. It's getting redder as it ages.

Ursula,
Your Vanda teretifolia is adorable !!! I love the mini's.

Elaine, I think your NOID Cat is one of the nicer reds....very pretty !

Elaine, have you ever taken a front-on photo of this gorgeous noid and then tried to image - google?
I just tried it with your picture and Bc Star Trek 'Orange' was one of the choices. Hmmm. Perhaps just Bc Star Trek…..???What do you think?
http://www.orchidboss.com/inde...

Wow, that sure does look similar, Ursula. Thanks. I should have remembered the name if it had 'Star Trek' in it, though. (yes, there was a tag at some point . . )
Here are individual shots I took yesterday of each flower.



Here's what the flowers looked like last year at this time. A bit more mellow sunset, and less red.

Did anybody here play along?
How about Potinara Susan Fender? There is some variation looking at the different cultivars.

Is that the Pot. Susan Fender 'Cinnamon Stick' AM/AOS? Here is a picture taken last year of mine.

Hm, aren't Potinaras usually smaller plants? All of mine are.

This is one big Catt, leaves a foot long and overall nearly 2ft tall.