miniature bulbophyllums

[tmaxwell]

Hi orchid lovers! (first post, been looking for a while)
Any suggestions on mini bulbo's? It's hard to find good info on these little guys! I grow B. alagense, (tiny) cirr. "lovely elizabeth" (not so tiny). I've been looking at B. tixieri, moniliforme, thoronia, and a few others. Any suggestions? I grow in a 20 gal tank w/ cfl's, good light, med. humidity, good air, int-warm temps.

These are the plants I have
paph. (sukhakulii x fairreanium) a really hardy, beautiful cross from orchid's limited. (in spike)
Tolumnia guianense
Odontoglossum torondia (crossed with an odontioda) (blooming)
diplocaulobium chrysotropsis
Encyclia polybulbon, cochleata
psychopsis (kramerianum x mendenhall) cross by orchids limited, compact, beautiful! (in growth)
Bulb. alagense (in growth)
unknown phal.
cischweifia sheehaniae (blooming)
Cirr. "lovely elizabeth" (in growth)
Sophronitis cernua
Aerangis biloba (I want luteo-alba!!)
Chiloschista lunifera

I might get some pictures,
take it easy!

[Ross]

I have Bulbo psychoon and love it. Very prolific grower - not so prolific bloomer.

[boytjie]

Originally Posted by tmaxwell

Hi orchid lovers! (first post, been looking for a while)
Any suggestions on mini bulbo's? It's hard to find good info on these little guys!

I love Bulbophyllum tingabarinum. Awesome little chid, easy to grow, and amazing, intricate red flowers that are large for the size of the plant. Mine seems to like a bit less light than my other Bulbos. More info here: IOSPE PHOTOS

[Sandy4453]

Hi tmaxwell. There are tons of Bulbo's that stay compact, some that bloom large flowers and others, comparative to the overall size of the plants.

Two, that I can think of that stay fairly compact, are Bulbophyllum lasiochilum and masdevalliaceum. There are loads more though!

Welcome to the site!

[tmaxwell]

Wow, beautiful plants! Glad I asked. Upon further looking i found this: Index of /genre/Bulbophyllum
decent list of what seem to be some pretty obscure plants... pretty cool
thanks everybody!
tyler

[CoolPhrog]

Make sure you research the scent that some of these plants share...consider what "creatures" polinate these beauties

[Mike O'C]

Originally Posted by tmaxwell

Hi orchid lovers! (first post, been looking for a while)
Any suggestions on mini bulbo's? It's hard to find good info on these little guys! I grow B. alagense, (tiny) cirr. "lovely elizabeth" (not so tiny). I've been looking at B. tixieri, moniliforme, thoronia, and a few others. Any suggestions? I grow in a 20 gal tank w/ cfl's, good light, med. humidity, good air, int-warm temps.

These are the plants I have
paph. (sukhakulii x fairreanium) a really hardy, beautiful cross from orchid's limited. (in spike)
Tolumnia guianense
Odontoglossum torondia (crossed with an odontioda) (blooming)
diplocaulobium chrysotropsis
Encyclia polybulbon, cochleata
psychopsis (kramerianum x mendenhall) cross by orchids limited, compact, beautiful! (in growth)
Bulb. alagense (in growth)
unknown phal.
cischweifia sheehaniae (blooming)
Cirr. "lovely elizabeth" (in growth)
Sophronitis cernua
Aerangis biloba (I want luteo-alba!!)
Chiloschista lunifera

I might get some pictures,
take it easy!

Hi! I think Sandy 4453 has quite correctly referred to the fact that "miniature" is relative. What I think that you are looking for is "compact" Bulbophyllums i.e. ones that tend to stay within a small to medium pot. For instance Bulbophyllum echinolabium will flower for you in a 4 - 5 inch (10 to 12.5cm) pot in spite of the fact that it is the largest flowered Bulbophyllum because it is a compact plant i.e. it pseudobulbs touch each other. Whereas Bulbophyllum lasiochilum with its rambling growth habit will not stay long in the same pot because its pseudobulbs are about an inch (2.5cm) apart. If you look at my posting in the Bulbophyllum alliance in the forums and look for my posting which I labelled as "My Bulbophyllums for Jerry" you will see two photos of African Bulbophyllums both of which have small flowers but have rambling growth habits and which would be unsuiteable for you to grow in Canada where you have to grow under lights. Bulbophyllum psychoon and Bulbophyllum tingabarinum are too good suggestions as they are compact growing. If you like I will post pictures (bad) of both of them for you to see later.

[shakkai]

I have Trias picta (IOSPE PHOTOS)
which is a true miniature in the Bulb alliance,

and Bulbophyllum lindleyanum
(IOSPE PHOTOS)
which I would say is also a miniature. Mine is growing on a 4 inch square slab of cork. And I think I see two spikes forming on it - it made lots of new growth this summer - so I might have photos of my own of it this winter.

[Brooke]

I will third the vote for the tingabarinum - small pbulbs that cluster instead of the rambling rhizome which is hard to control.

Another good choice is the plumatum - again small clustered pbulbs and will stay contained.

Check Andy's Orchids in CA - many of his descriptions will give you the length of rhizome for the plant plus the needed conditions for growth. You know when he sells a bulbo on a stick, it is small.

Brooke

[Tindomul]

I would vote for B. thiaorum and B. tingabarinum as well. My B. (Rhytionanthos) plumatus is staying small as well as my B. cuspidilingue (blumei)