Well, the Purpurata's have begun to flower. The National flower of Brazil was called Laelia Purpurata for the last couple of hundred years and obviously, ever since I began collectng orchids. But guess what? Last year scientists decided that it is very close to the Sophronitis family and now it is known as Sophronitis instead of Laelia. How did they determine this? Using DNA analysis two scientists Berg and Chase determined that they were essentially from the same family. I am sure as scientists they were thrilled, but as a collector I find all of these continuos reclassifications a pain, I just can't keep track of them!
 
Sophronitis (Laelia) Purpurata Werkahuseri. The color is a mixture of purple and gray that I think is absolutely spectacular.
 
This is the more subtle Sophronitis Purpurata Suavisima or Delicata, I ahd trouble taking the picture on the left as there are two bunches of flowers on the plant and they were in such different planes that they would not come out focused until I chanegd the angle.
I have lots of plants of this Equitant Oncidium whose name has the word clown in it, but I can't remember it. I splt a large plant into smaller pieces two years ago because it was growing over itself, but not doing well. This is the first "spin-off" to flower since two years ago, hopefully it will now start flowering regularly. It is a very nice and strong plant that every spring flowers in man shoots that last for months.
8:30:13 PM 
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