Amesiella LOC Snow White*and Dendrobium normanbyense - Orchid Board

PlumCrazy · #1 01-17-2022, 07:13 PM

Dendrobium normanbyense (atroviolaceum pygmy): I got this from Andy's last March. It was one he picked out for me based on my conditions and what he thought I might like. When it arrived, it had a few fading, really pale yellow blooms on it. I wasn't super excited... But I am now!!! Wow! These are a lovely green that doesn't show up well in the pictures with a magenta lip. And so many!!! I would say it barely qualifies as a miniature. The canes are probably a little over 6", so it is one of the larger plants in my tank.

Amesiella LOC Snow White (minor x monticola): I just got this from LOC in August, so can't take full credit for the bloom (but I'm taking some, ok!) It has been in spike for at least 3 months. Worth the wait. I wasn't expecting the yellow in the middle. Also, the flower is around 2" across, so it is almost larger than the plant itself. I love the little tendril in the back, and there is another bud behind it.

PlumCrazy · #2 02-04-2022, 06:55 PM

PlumCrazy · #3 02-18-2022, 07:09 PM

The both wilted today, so they didn't last super long, but long enough for me to really enjoy them

Shadeflower · #4 02-19-2022, 09:10 AM

Not sure you have the true Normanbyense.

Yours is certainly bigger than mine (3cm taller) but once established they are long lasting, the atyroviolaceum pigmy too.

Mine opened 3 months ago today and there is still a flower left

PlumCrazy · #5 02-19-2022, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shadeflower

Not sure you have the true Normanbyense.

Yours is certainly bigger than mine (3cm taller) but once established they are long lasting, the atyroviolaceum pigmy too.

Mine opened 3 months ago today and there is still a flower left

Very nice! Should have specified it was both Amsiella blooms that wilted. All of the Dendrobium blooms are still going strong. If you don’t think it is Normanbyense, what do you think it is?

Shadeflower · #6 02-19-2022, 02:18 PM

on the pictures they do look very similar.

But the Atroviolaceum is really not that much bigger than the Normanbyense.

Mine is 5" from base to top leaf, without the roots so maybe you included the roots?

The thing is I know the atro pygmy has been in cultivation for a while. The Normanbyense is a recently discovered species and it was then assumed the atro pigmy is the same but who knows if the pygmy was crossed with an atro at one point because it was assumed they were the same.

I am speculating a lot sorry. Like said mine is 5" from top to bottom but maybe mine will still stretch out a bit more.

Roberta · #7 02-19-2022, 02:32 PM

Size is a poor indicator of species... along with the culture factor there are genetically smaller varieties of the species, and this is likely one of them. While he makes the occasional mistake, most of Andy's IDs are accurate. Species are his specialty (Andy's Orchids - Species Specialist - Orchids on a stick), and his knowledge is incredible. Would not argue with his IDs without a lot of supporting evidence.("Doesn't look exactly like mine" does not meet that standard of evidence...) I have caught a very few where someone put the wrong tag on a plant from a show (some employees aren't as meticulous as he is), but if he personally picked it out, it is what he says it is. (And he doesn't sell hybrids at all)

One can't accurately identify species without knowing about the variation within species. Not necessarily for this particular species, but here is a site with photos by Ron Parsons with many photos of species orchids, organized by species (multiple photos of the same species), precisely to show the variation within species. Flickr

PlumCrazy · #8 04-22-2022, 02:18 PM

Dendrobium normanbyense is just about done. Interestingly, the flowers fade to dark pink on their way out.

PlumCrazy · #9 07-08-2022, 05:13 PM

This thing is at it again!! And it is as amazing a few months ago. Sorry for the small pic, but it is in the back of my orchidarium and while all of my plants are removable, I don't want to risk moving and damaging like 6 other plants for a full plant pic. There are at least 20 flowers, and 2 stalks are still in bud. It does know how to get on my favorites list

Also, the Amesiella appears to have a spike *fingers crossed*