SITF Blog

Encyclia-x-darieniana-Memoria-Konstanty-Maciaszek-CHM/AOS-2023-07-15 *SITF confirms this plant as Encyclia x-darieniana (Jul 2023).
This plant was identified by one of the describing taxonomists, Ruben Sauleda, as definitely E. x darieniana. It matches the description and photos in the New World Orchidaceae 2019 paper "Nomenclatural Notes A New Natural Hybrid of Encyclia moebusii H. Dietr. (Orchidaceae) is Described for Cuba" by Davila, Esperon, and Sauleda. This plant fits the intermediate form between E. moebusii and E. phoenicea.

Posted on Jul 15, 2023

Eleven stellate flowers and 2 buds on a staked, arched 75 cm inflorescence emerging from the apex of the newest mature pseudobulb on a seven ovate predominately unifoliate pseudobulb plant, narrowly l...

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Dendrobium-sinominutiflorum-Little-Green-Gem-2023-07-13 *SITF has determined this plant to be Dendrobium compactum, not Den. sinominutiflorum (Aug 2023).
Plant identification aided by Andre Schuiteman. Den. sinominutiflorum has lip side lobe apices sharply dentate and margins entire or margins inconspicuously notched; the lip has three keels which merge to form a broadly thickened fleshy ridge. These characteristics are not seen on this plant. This plant matches the photo of Den. compactum in the OW and Baker and Baker's description of Den. compactum in "Orchid Species Culture: Dendrobiums". The flower size and color also match Den. compactum.

Posted on Jul 13, 2023

Three flowers and fourteen buds on three inflorescences to 2-cm on a nine growth plant 6.5-cm wide by 5.5-cm tall mounted on a 5-cm by 8-cm cork slab; pseudobulbs elongate to 3.5-cm long by 0.5-cm wid...

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Pahiopedilum-canhii-CHM/AOS-2023-07-09 *SITF confirms that this plant is Paphiopedilum canhii (Jul 2023).
The distinctive staminode of plant is a perfect match to that of P. canhii. A matching photo with the type specimen of P. canhii is shown in the May, 2010, AOS "Orchids" magazine article by Averyanov et. al. Very good, close matching photos are also in the IOSPE and OW.

Posted on Jul 9, 2023

One elegant flower and zero buds on a 9 cm inflorescence; leaves elliptic 2 cm wide, fan spread 8.5 cm, tessellated light and dark green; dorsal sepal ovate white, lower half veined maroon; petals whi...

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Lepanthopsis-doucetteana-2023-06-30 *SITF has determined this plant is Platystele kayi, not Lepanthopsis doucetteana (Jul 2023).
This plant was identified with the aid of Dr. Alfonso Doucette, who determined it was not Lepanthopsis doucetteana, but was Platystele kayi. The sepals, petals and lip shape of this plant do not match the images of L. doucetteana in the IOSPE website. This plant does match the description, photo and drawing in the Harvard.edu article, "Lepanthopsis kayi, a new species from eastern Ecuador" by Lisa Thoerle and Xavier Cornejo, which was described as Lepanthopsis kayi (a synonym of Platystele kayi).

Posted on Jun 30, 2023

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Epidendrum-hondurense-2023-06-29 *SITF confirms this plant as Epidendrum hondurense (Jul 2023).
This plant was identified to the exhibitor by Dr. Eric Hagsater, the authority in the Genus Epidendrum; Dr. Hagsater stated that this plant was definitely E. hondurense. The description and drawing for E. hondurense can be found in the ICONES Orchidacearum, Fascicle 11, The Genus Epidendrum, Part 7 by Hagsater, et. al. and ICONES Orchidacearum (16)1 (2018), Genus Epidendrum, Part 12. The inflorescences on this plant are simple racemes, not branched panicles; this characteristic along with the matching color and dimensions fits E. hondurense.

Posted on Jun 29, 2023

I have this plant for a very long time. My understanding is that it was legally collected in Central American in the late 1960's. Originally labeled as Epidendrum densiflorum, which it was obviously...

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Dendrobium-venustum-CCE/AOS-2023-06-28 *SITF has determined this plant to be Dendrobium delacourii, not Dendrobium venustum (Jul 2023).
The key difference between D. venustum and D. delacourii is the plant size. There are three species with very similar flowers; these are D. delacourii, D. simondii, and D. venustum. They differ in plant size where D. delacourii is the smallest, most compact plant of the three having canes less than 10cm and D. venustum the largest having canes up to 60 cm long. This compact plant is D. delacourii with pseudobulbs measuring only 2 to 5 cm long. Supporting photos can be found in the IOSPE, OW and orchidroots.com. This plant is an excellent match to the D. delacourii description in Baker and Baker's, "Orchid Species Culture: Dendrobium".

Posted on Jun 28, 2023

A flawlessly-grown eye-catching, compact display of 165 flowers and 166 buds on 31 inflorescences borne on approximately 100 pseudobulbs from 2 cm to 5 cm in length; 15-cm high by 39-cm wide beautiful...

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Epidendrum-piliferum-M-&-B-CHM-83-Pts-2023-06-25 *SITF confirms this plant is Epidendrim piliferum (Jul 2023).
This plant matches the form and color of the description and photo in the IOSPE; it is a good match to the drawing by Jimenez, Hagsater, & Santiago also in the IOSPE. This plant is small compared to the drawing, which shows canes over 80-cm tall. Dressler states this species can be up to 2 meters. The cane size of this plant was 41cm. Other images can be found in the OW, orchidroots.com and many other sites on the internet.

Posted on Jun 25, 2023

One hundred and seventy-two flowers on four upright terete green arching inflorescences, longest to 19cm; growths simple straight erect cane-like terete, largest 0.8cm in diameter by 41cm tall, carry...

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Maxillaria-funicaulis-Jasen-CBR/AOS-2023-06-22 *SITF has determined this plant to be Maxillaria xanthorhoda, not Maxillaria funicaulis (Oct 2023).
The growth habit of this plant matches the drawing and description of M. xanthorhoda. There is some disagreement in the literature concerning the leaf length of this species; however, the original taxonomic description of M. xanthorhoda by Schlecter in 1918 describes the leaf length as 11.5 cm. This plant has a closely matching leaf length of 11 cm. There are minute cilia along the margin of the basal portion of the lip and it is finely papilose on the apical margin of the lip. The flowers always come from the bases of the new growths as does this plant. This Maxillaria group is unclear and complex and should have more taxonomic research to clarify the species. Photos in the literature are confusing; some probably incorrect and may be M. procurrens Lindl. and not M. xanthorhoda.

Posted on Jun 22, 2023

Plant was obtained from a grower in Eureka CA. Origins South America.

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Paphiopedilum-areeanum-2023-06-22 *SITF confirms this plant is Paphiopedilum areeanum (Jun 2023).
Paphiopedilum areeanum is considered by some to be a natural hybrid between P. barbigerum and P. villosum; however, POWO (Kew) has accepted it as a species based on O. Gruss description in 2001.This plant and flowers are intermediate in size and habit between P. barbigerum and P. villosum. The flowers are also a good match to the photo and drawing in the IOSPE and the photo in orchidrooots.com. It does not match the markings in the dorsal sepals in the photos in the OW, but these are inconsistent with the dorsal sepal markings found on the drawing and on both P. barbigerum and P. villosum, but more like the spotting pattern found on P. gratixianum.

Posted on Jun 22, 2023

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