Rhyncholaeliocattleya Memoria Crispin Rosales 'Volcano Queen'

 If you want a large purple Cattleya flower you cannot go wrong with the hybrid Rlc.  Memoria Crispin Rosales.  There are a number of clones of this hybrid available to the public.  I used to have the clone 'Hawaii'.  My plant usually produced two flowers but sometimes it would produce a single humongous flower on the inflorescence.  In my experience very susceptible to white fly and mealy bugs.  I had to be watchful because sometimes white fly would proliferate unnoticed under the dried sheaths of the youngest bulbs.

Myrmecocattleya Marissa's Aurora, (Cattleya Martin Wolfe × Myrmecophila tibicinis)

This cross between Myrmecophila tibicinis and Cattleya Martin Wolfe is 50% tibicinis, 25% Catt. schilleriana and the other 25% is from 9 other species of Cattleya.  Its most notable trait is the rich color of the flowers.

 

Begonia decandra Pav. ex A.DC. in El Yunque National Forest

 This Begonia is endemic of Puerto Rico.  It can be seen in roadsides and places where the forest canopy borders and open sunny area. 

Stelis perpusilliflora Cogn. in I.Urban 1909 in El Yunque National Forest

 This orchid was photographed in El Yunque National forest.  The flowers are tiny and remain cupped when they open.  The inflorescence is horizontal with the flowers pointing downwards or to the side.  I had to bend the inflorescence upwards to get a view of the inside of the flowers.

Dendrobium stratiotes Rchb. f. 1886

 

In my experience, this Dendrobium does well and its easy to grow in Puerto Rico.  Once the canes have reached mature size, they will produce long lasting flowers.  The canes can vary in size depending on the genetics of the plant and the care it receives.   Sadly, I lost it because I became too complacent about its care.  The thing is, once the cane reaches the side of the pot, its a must to repot it taking care to damage the roots as little as possible.   Neglecting repotting can cause the loss of the plant once the roots that are in the pot die. 

Rlc. Chia Lin 'New City'

 This is a large Cattleya with a rich warm color that is really eye catching.