miniature orchid, need ID

[Corpus Callosum]

I don't have any flowers that have fully opened yet but I believe it has purple flowers and is usually in bloom. Any idea on an ID? Each leaf is like an inch long or less.

[Dorothy]

First thing off the top of my head is a Leptotes ..
if it is a light purple flower - unicolor - http://www.paramountorchids.com/jpg/...lor%20copy.jpg
- IOSPE PHOTOS
.. if it's a white and dark pink flower - bicolor - http://www.paramountorchids.com/jpg/...%20bicolor.jpg
- IOSPE PHOTOS
There are a few other species of this orchid .. but you won't truly know until it blooms ...
Anyone else care to take a stab at this one, be my guest ..

[shakkai]

Dorothy, I think the leaf form (terete) is right for Leptotes, but I think that Leptotes are unifoliate - single leaf per growth, not an elongated stem with alternating leaves.

I haven't a clue as to what it actually is, but a guess would be Jacquiniella or something similar??? See: IOSPE PHOTOS - though this species has yellowy flowers.

[Orchidophile]

Oooo! thats a strange one, it does look like the Jaquiniella though.

[Dorothy]

Hmmm ..
Thanks, Shannen and Tim - I stand corrected (even though I am sitting )

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

I can't see the rest of the plant. You're only showing the young shoots. It looks like there are older, mature shoots in the pic. I'm guessing, but it looks like a Scaphyglottis.

This look familiar?

IOSPE PHOTOS

By the way, based on the pic your plant is growing a seed pod.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

I have a Jacquiniella leucomelana, and the flowers are not purple. They are yellow-green (more yellow than green).

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Other possibilities (may not be likely because of the seed pod pic having only one flower on a very short inflorescence) are Tetramicra or Oerstedella.

Whether it's a Scaphyglottis, Tetramicra, Oerstedella, or Jacquiniella they're all Cattleya relatives.

[Corpus Callosum]

Thanks so much for the help everyone!

I spoke to the person I got it from and he said this plant originated from Costa Rica if that helps anything.

The Leptotes bloom looks far too large. It actually looks exactly like the Jacquiniella sp. pictures posted!

The 'mature' shoots look identical to the new shoots except they browned out a bit as they didn't adjust well to my terrarium environment.

Once it opens up we should be able to get a better ID on the species, but it does look like Jacquiniella might be the right genus.

I am actually having problems getting the flowers to fully open. Any tips on care / conditions ?

[Mahon]

The plant looks nearly identical to a Jacquiniella, but haven't seen any purple flowering species.

I don't think this will be a Scaphyglottis, as they bear two leaves upon a slender pseudobulb, and typically grow new growths from atop the growth or at the bottom. Tetramicra looks VERY different from this plant, usually bearing obvious pseudobulbs or contained within a 2-4 leaf fan, with a trailing rhizome habit and very thick roots (as some are xerophytes).

Do update us on the bloom, I'm quite interested! It definitely looks to be more related to Epidendrum than anything else... =D

-Pat