Trisetella hoeijeri

Trisetella hoeijeri is a tiny species from Ecuador that was once classified as Masdevallia.  Most of the Trisetellas have small reddish-brown flowers with short tails, but this one, obviously, is different.  The plant is a few centimeters tall and the flowers are 4 cm from tip to tip.  The plant should be grown mounted and cool with plenty of water.  For some reason my plant only produced a couple of flowers this winter and probably needs just a little more light.

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Trisetella triglochin

This is one of the more common Trisetella species, if it is identified correctly.  I've found that most of the plants in this genus I purchase are misidentified.  Trisetella triglochin, also found under the name Trisetella huebneri is found both in southern Central America and northern South America.  It is extremely variable in flower shape and color.  This plant is only 3 cm tall with flowers that are also 3 cm in size and are produced on very thin 5 cm spikes that produce several flowers in succession.

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Trisetella klingeri

I am not sure of the identification of this species  It was supposed to be Trisetella sororia, which it most definitely is not.  It may be Trisetella klingeri, from Ecuador, but it may also be just a form of the variable and widespread Trisetella triglochin.  The plant is tiny, like most Trisetellas, only about 3-4 cm tall, and the flowers, born on 6 cm spikes are about 1 cm in size.  By any name, however, it is a cute miniature, and worthy of a place in any collection of miniature orchids.

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Trisetella regia

Trisetella regia is, relatively speaking, the giant of the genus, and well-named regia or "regal."  Most of the plants in the genus are tiny, only a few centimeters tall, with small flowers (1.5-2 cm) on short flower spikes.  This species is 7 cm tall with long 20 cm flower spikes and 4 cm flowers.  The flowers are typical in shape and color for the genus and have the long "tails" for which the genus is named.  Their obvious resemblance to Masdevallias had them classified as Masdevallias at one time.

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Trisetella hirtzii

Like all the Trisetellas, this is a very small plant, only 3 cm tall, and the flowers, too, are typical of the genus both in color and with their odd little tails.  The flowers are 1 cm and the plants blooms prolifically during the winter.  It is from Ecuador and named after a well-known orchidist.  It is related to Masdevallia, and like them prefers cool temperatures and good humidity.

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Trisetella strumosa

Trisetella vittata is a tiny species from Ecuador.  All the species in this genus are small, are closely related to Masdevallia and were once classified with Masdevallia.  The plant is 3cm tall, the spikes 4cm long and the flowers 2.5cm from tip to tip.  The Trisetellas can be very difficult to identify but I am reasonably certain that this is Trisetella strumosa.

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Trisetella hoeijeri

Trisetella hoeijeri is a tiny species that was once classified as Masdevallia.  Most of the Trisetellas have small reddish-brown flowers with short tails, but this one, obviously, is different.  The plant is a few centimeters tall and the flowers are 4 cm from tip to tip.  My plant blooms with a lot of flowers in early winter, but produces an odd flower off and on throughout the year.  It is from Ecuador and is grown mounted and cool.

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Trisetella hirtzii

I purchased this plant as Trisetella nodulifera, which is definitely is not.  If my identification of it is correct, it is instead Trisetella hirtzii from Ecuador.  It is small plant, 3 cm tall, with flowers a little over 1 cm in size.  It is grown mounted with cool temperatures and blooms off and on throughout the year with a flush of flowers coming in the fall and early winter.

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Trisetella hoeijeri

I've posted a description of this species before (see below), but it is in bloom once again with more flowers than ever, so I thought I'd post a few more pictures.  The plant is tiny, only a few centimeters tall, with bird-like flowers that dwarf the plant.

http://orchidsinbloom-ron.blogspot.com/2011/06/trisetella-hoeijeri.html

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Trisetella hoeijeri

This tiny orchid is related to Masdevallia and used to be classified with them.  It is native to Ecuador, grows at high elevations and requires cool temperatures.  It is named after its Swedish discover who found it first in 1990.  Because of its tiny size it is best grown mounted on a twig or small branch and needs good humidity and frequent watering.

The plant itself is only 2-3 cm tall but the flowers are 3 cm by 5.5 cm measured from the tips of the tails.  They have a sparkling texture and look like little white birds in flight.  The flowers are carried on thin wiry spikes that are about 3.5 cm long.  It blooms off and on year around but produces a flush of flowers in the late spring or early summer.

It is very different both in flower shape and color from most of the other species in the genus.  Most of them have reddish or purplish flowers with a rather cupped shape and are quite small in comparison to this species.  For these reasons the species is also one of the more desirable in the genus and was much sought after when first discovered.

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Trisetella gemmata

The Trisetellas are all related to Masdevallia and were at one time classified with them.  Trisetella gemmata is fairly typical of most of the genus, both in the color and size of the flowers and in plant size.  The plant is a cluster of narrow channeled leaves about 4 cm tall, and the rather strange flowers are about 3 cm in size. It produces its flowers during the winter and each flower spike produces a succession of 4-6 flowers.

The plant is from Colombia and from high altitudes and does best in cool to cold temperatures with high humidity.  I grow it mounted on a piece of bark and water it nearly every day.    Its name, gemmata, refers to the sparkling texture of the flowers which is very hard to capture in a photograph, and Trisetella, the genus name, refers to the three thread-like tails of the flower.

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Trisetella klingeri

I purchased this plant as Trisetella sororia, which it most definitely is not.  I believe instead that it is Trisetella klingeri, from Ecuador.  The plant is tiny, like all Trisetellas, only about 3-4 cm tall, and the flowers, born on 6 cm spikes are about 1 cm in size.  This plant was at one time classified as a Masdevallia, but was separated into its own genus in the 1980's.  It is named after an American orchidist.

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Trisetella dressleri

Trisetella is a small genus of tiny orchids that used to be classified as Masdevallias, and the resemblance is obvious.  Trisetella dressleri is from Panama and is named after an American botanist, Robert Dressler.

The plant is only 3 cm tall and the flowers about 1 cm in size.  The plant will do well either in a small pot or mounted, but needs cool temperatures since it is from the high cloud forests.

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