New Flowers

And they're orchids, which makes it even better. I love orchids, and the weirder they are, the more I love them. Here's a report on two new species from Cuba. And here are the flowers:

That's Tetramicra riparia, a tiny one -- flowers smaller than a dime. (There are smaller ones -- you need a magnifying glass to make out any details on most of the Dendrochilums -- but this is a little cutie.) And here's Encyclia navarroi:

I realize it's sideways, but that's the way they arrange themselves on the flower stalk. I'm especially fond of Encyclias -- I have an Encyclia tampensis, which is native to Florida, which I have managed to bloom exactly once in the last ten years, but it's a great one. It's darker than this -- real mahogany in color:

Maybe once I get into a decent apartment, I'll start growing orchids again -- miniatures, on the windowsill. There are Oncidiums that grow smaller than the palm of your hand, and have these long flower stalks with tons of flowers. Something to think about.