I like the Richard's Bonanza too, nice lip! Heh, better keep those electronic devices charged!

Here is an Orchid making a a comeback!
This Epiphronitis Veitchii variegata was a very vigorous plant when I started growing it some years ago. It quickly outgrew any container and I divided it a few times. Then it just simply stopped in its tracks, it was done. No more growth, no more blooms. But I was always able to hang on to a small piece.
I was happily surprised to see it slowly but surely coming back to life this Winter. We are not looking at spectacular growth as years ago, but it looks healthy again and it has a spike!

Is this plant kin to Dendrobium, Ursula? I have never had an orchid with variegated leaves, unless I let it get sunburn!

No Ken. This is a very old hybrid, registered in 1890 I just found out.Wow, that IS old!
Epidendrum radicans x Sophronitis coccinea. ....with a couple of name changes involved....
http://apps.rhs.org.uk/horticu...

It seems Santa Barbara Orchid Estate still sells it
http://www.sborchid.com/plantd...

The only Epi. I have, and the only one I have ever had, is the Epidendrum bracteolatum, and I have several that are getting ready to bloom. Their leaves look nothing like your Epiphronitis though. I guess the stem/leaves form is more like the Sophronitis than the Epidendrum.

When you see the plant in person, you will realize that the growth is actually quite like a miniaturized reed stem Epidendrum. The variegation throws one off a bit.

I should add, it even makes keikis like a reed stem Epi.

Oh, I forgot about my Oerstedella centradenia, a reed-stem, Epi. However, those plants look nothing like my Epi. bracteolatum and though my centradenia is loaded with those rooted keikis, I have never seen any on the Epi.

Here is what my Oerstedealla centradenia looked like in the fall, then the flowers in mid-winter, and now.

Ursula has shown us her variegated Neo not too long ago, I think? I have a variegated Phal too, Ken. It's a terrible diva and hasn't bloomed for a couple of years, but it does have nice leaves. It was one of my first two orchids, a gift from my daughter who said in 2010 "Mum, you live in Florida, you just HAVE to grow orchids!" Thus began my addiction. I still have them both, too. They limp along and bloom occasionally, but survive.
These pics from 2010:

That's really neat, Elaine. That's something else I have never had, a variegated orchid.

Here is my Dtps. Lucia 'Pink' today, with three, 4" flowers fully open, and six more buds to open. That stem and those buds are continuing to grow. I am getting a new bud weekly now.



And here is my Epi. bracteolatum today. I have several others in bud but this is the only one that has its flowers opened.

Ursula, I've been reading about your Epiphronitis [Ephs.] veitchi, or is it Epc. Veitchii (1890) (Epi. radicans x C. coccinea), or is it as you wrote, Epiphronitis [Ephs.] Veitchii? All give the date as 1890. Very confusing!!

Ken, pretty flower on your Oerstedella.

Jim

They are beautiful flowers but as you know, are really tiny things. The roots are so interesting though. I doesn't take much to impress me.

Jim, it was Epiphronitis Veitchii, Epidendrum radicans x Sophronitis coccinea. And yes there are other hybrids under the name also, I was amazed when I looked at this morning to see what it was changed into new name wise.
But this one is as stated, with a name change too....., see my post 819080 from this morning.

The confusing part for me is I also find it listed as a species. Epiphronitis [Ephs.] veitchii. How can it be a species as well as a hybrid, both with the 1890 date??

Now a few from the OC. First, the Aerangis [Aergs.] punctata has open quicker than expected.


While I was misting today, I discovered Den. lindleyi in bloom.


During the buying frenzy at the orchid auction, I bought a Paph in bud. Lord knows why as I may never re-bloom it. Anyway, her she is, Paphiopedilum bellatulum 'Red Bella':


The boffins now say this Oncidium hybrid is (Oncidopsis [Oip.] Yokara X Oncidium [Onc.] Fort Point) X Bratonia [Brat.] Memoria Donald Christian. I like it anyway.


Jim

Perhaps it also occurs as a natural hybrid?

Ah, that beautiful white and patterned flower - the Whattheheckia Mem Donald Christian. It is truly gorgeous! I love the new Paph and the Aerangis opened a lot faster than I would have expected. I have to look at my Den. lindleyi, I don't think mine is budding yet.

I think any orchid with a new name that takes more than one line to type should now be officially called "Whattheheckia" on our threads.

Those little yellow Dens are sneaky, they have such fine stems it's sometimes hard to see when they're budding.

In any case, Jim and we'll forgive Donald Christian for the boffins' excesses of naming zeal. It's just beautiful.

Doesn't a natural hybrid have an "X" between the genus and the species names? I don't want to be a pain, just trying to learn.

Jim

Yes, I would think so, so there goes the natural hybrid veitchii?

Ursula said:Yes, I would think so, so there goes the natural hybrid veitchii?

Kew states that the x vietchii is not valid of 1890 so that explains why the hybrid date of 1890. Epiphronitis is Epicattleya according to MAOC classification.

Because there was already a name in place at the time of invalidation (2003), they assign the date as part of the name for clarification.

Hope that clarifies.

Thanks so much, Melissa!
http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/nonac...
So if I understand this correctly, the natural hybrid. x Epiphronitis veitchii seemed to have existed and was accepted (not sure what "unplaced name" means) until KEW declared it unaccepted in 2003.

My Den. Aphrodite x Den. Golden Aya plants continue to grow inflorescences and continue to flower. Here's two of them.