Butterfly orchid from 1931 - oncidium kameriana?
 

Hi there. Can you please identify the 'butterfly orchid' on the small table next to the person in the attached photo?

Please see the link below for a newspaper article from May 1930 with more details on the orchid:

herman kleinstarink orchid - Newspapers.com

Here is a quote from the article:

"The exhibition includes fifty selected from Mr. Kleinstarink's collection, representing twelve varieties and hundreds of blooms. Interest in the displays centered on the "butterfly" orchid., known among botanists as oncidium Kameriana."

Googling 'oncidium kameriana' doesn't really help. Any idea what the orchid species is? Bonus points for anyone who can also identify the flower he's holding. Thanks for your help!!

First, welcome to the Orchid Board!

Probably Psychopsis krameriana (Oncidium kramerianum). (that missing "r" in the species name is what messed up the search, additionally confused with the Latin ending based on the gender of the genus) Not going to guess about the Catt...too many possibilities.

Awesome, thanks Roberta!!

Might it not be papilio?

My hunch is that Roberta is right given the newspaper article's (misspelled) reference to Oncidium kramerianum.

Possibly - I was going from the misspelled name on the assumption that someone wrote what they heard and just didn't get it quite right. Pyp. papilio tends to be a lot taller, but it's a small plant, maybe not that well grown (hard to tell from that long ago... ) In fact, Pyp. papilio x Pyp. krameriana = Pyp. Kalihi , which gives similar flowers in a more manageable height. (My Pyp. papilio has spikes that are about 4' long, making it difficult to take anywhere or even move or fit in the greenhouse)

The Cattleya looks quite like a C. mossiae. Or gaskelliana.
A closer look would make it easier to tell.


Cattleya mossiae

Cattleya gaskelliana