RHH's photos with the keyword: pusiola

Dryadella pusiola is a tiny orchid species from Colombia. The plant is about 5 cm tall and the tiny flowers are less than .5 cm. The Dryadellas were at one time classified with Masdevallias but the genus was separated from Masdevallia and now contains a small number of miniatures species with flowers that are similar in shape to this, though they vary in size and coloration. The genus is named rather aptly for the Dryads, the nymphs of the trees in Greek mythology. It's a flower that sparks one's imagination, but I'll leave it to you to tell me what you see in the flower. In any case, I'm taking it in for judging a little later today and we'll see what happens. It's a species that's not been awarded by the American Orchid Society to my knowledge, so perhaps they'll give it some kind of recognition. There are pictures of the whole plant in a 3.5 cm on my blog. Added note: the judges gave it a Certificate of Horticultural Merit since it had not been recognized before. orchidsinbloom-ron.blogspot.com/2012/02/dryadella-pusiola...

The genus Dryadella is named after the forest nymphs of Greek mythology, and I think you can see why in this example of the genus. They are related closely to Masdevallia and have tiny flowers on small plants. The pot in this case is only one inch in diameter. This particular plant was awarded a Certificate of Horticultural Merit by the American Orchid Society. It is from Colombia. More information and pictures here: orchidsinbloom-ron.blogspot.com/2012/02/dryadella-pusiola...