Every so often the discussions touch on either perhaps boring aspects of Orchids when not in bloom or on the other hand the interesting growth habits of many other Orchids, looking fascinating even when not showing a single bloom ( but - since we like the complete picture we certainly don't object to those flowering either.)
I took the camera into the greenhouse and just shot away happily -
Some Angraecums are of miniature size and show interesting growth:
Angraecum distichum


Angraecum sedifolium bloomed once for me, I remember a greenish bloom with interesting structure, if you blinked you missed it.


Some Orchids produce large mats of tiny plants:
Bulbophyllum alagense small form ( I am now growing the "large" form and it is pretty neat too. )


Mediocalcar decoratum certainly looks adorable in bloom, but is also a cutie when not.

and a variegated form


And there are other Orchids with distichous growth -
Dendrobium leonis ( no picture now)
Dendrobium distichum

and the huge Dendrobium anceps


this small Oberonia species is another one with those pretty "braids"


while Oberonia toppingii has nice fans and the spikes are dangling and will show the strangest close ups when fully open. ( magnifying lens needed…)


Then there are the cute miniatures - clumps of:
Epidendrum schlechterianum ( the blooms look like bugs) I also grow Epi longirepens which looks like a close relative.


Dendrobium nugentii


Dendrobium prenticei


and the even tinier Dendrobium toressae


And there are the pretty little clumps of grass/ Phymatidium tillandsioides

and Pleurothallis grobyi

Leptotes bicolor

and a nice plant of Ceratostylis philippinense

in contrast to the somewhat wild looking Ceratostylis rubra


And the Restrepia antennifera attractive even without "bugs"


Would you expect a Pleuthallis just about looking like a rupicolous Laelia?
This is Pleurothallis teres


and there is the adorable teensy Laelia lilliputana


Pretty pseudobulbs, looking fine when dormant is Calanthe Rozel


neat looking canes on Dendrobium findleyanum


Epiphronitis Veitchii variegata looks pretty


Another whole category of Orchids, the Neofinetia falcata are adorable when adorned with lots of fragrant blooms, but they are little gems in their own right during the Winter months, here are some Fukiran:
Neofineta falcata Tamakongo ( bean leaf)

and the needle leaf Yoroidoushi

Some have beautiful variegation:
Nishidemiyako

Gojo Fukurin

Gekkeikan

My Dendrobium moniliforme are pretty much dormant right now, but a couple of small examples here
This one is Hakutsuru

and Ginsetu


And there are many many more……

I hope you enjoy this aspect of Orchid growing as much as I do!
Surely you have many example to display here and bring to our attention. There are so many many other Orchids, some with pretty leaves and perhaps those with gorgeous roots no less.

Please feel free to add your pics!

Great presentation !

Thanks Carol!
Hopefully we add to this…. perhaps someone has a nice Jewel Orchid and similar….

Yes, I need to post my hand puppet orchid.

Jim

I do, I do! Yes, velvety leaves with lovely ruby sparkly veins, (hard to photograph ) but who can say you wouldn't grow this one for the sweet little flowers, too?



Here's another I think is interesting and certainly you don't see it very often for its singular shy flowers. Rhynchovola David Sander looks rather spidery with its very long, thin very dark green leaves - no matter how much sun it gets! But what is puzzling to me is that it gets this purple blush on the pseudobulbs in the springtime. At first I thought it was needing magnesium, but I've been generous with the Epsom Salts all winter, so I can't imagine it would be that!


One more, my funny little variegated Phal. which is the worst diva of all my orchids and was one of the first two I ever had. Every year it gets some malady and I say "oh well, it's done" but it comes back. This year it has put out a second crown of variegated leaves, and also one with plain leaves.


I have a pretty little Paph with variegated leaves, and one of those hand puppet orchids, too. It will have to wait until there is more light tomorrow for pictures.

Thanks for this interesting thread, Ursula!

Oh yes!! Elaine, you are right on target! The Phal has gorgeous variegation! And the David Sander's leaves are certainly attractive in their right! I do look forwards to the cute little Ludisia blooms too, but the leaves are simply pretty!

I think it's a very educational thread too. We've all seen id photos that are unfamiliar to us. When I searched for Vanilla, for example, I finally found one photo on the net of the whole plant of Vanilla planifolia. There are many different Vanilla orchids! Dendrobiums are probably the toughest species to research because they are sooo varied in growth habit. I think it is a service to all to show the unusual plants. ....Even if they aren't show quality.

I'm looking forward to this weekend to take some pix myself

So true, Carol. I had a cutting of the variegated Vanilla, but was a kind of wimpy little thing and it didn't make it. On the other hand, they have a Vanilla planifolia climbing through the rafters in the big greenhouse at Selby Gardens that has vines 20ft. long and the leaves are 8in. long! Very different from the new one I got from Ken last fall. It's still very small with 2in. leaves.

Ahh, the variegated Vanilla, such pretty leaves. I wish I had the room for Vanilla or could leave it outside to run up a tree. And I use a lot of Vanilla beans….

I don't know what I'm going to do with this new one, if it gets as big as the one at Selby! I guess I can prune it to keep it small enough so I can bring it indoors in winter . . . or take a cutting or two and try twining it around my Australian Tree fern. Maybe the canopy of the fern would protect it enough, but they're pretty tender.

It's growing and branching already, too!

I have had to make larger lattices for some of mine, Elaine. The vanilla orchid vines just got too large and long for the small lattices they were growing on. I used cane that is about 3/8-1/2" thick, and these lattices are 18-20" tall. I also went ahead and re-potted those that needed the larger lattices, and have them in 6" or 8" clay pots, needing the weight of the pot to keep them from tipping over.

I have a feeling that the vanilla orchid plants will take a lot of sun, though they may have to be acclimated. Surely, those grown commercially are in full sun or at least mostly sun. Since this was my first time to try my hand at growing them, I am going on "instinct" rather than experience right now. From what I have read, vanilla orchid plants are somewhat difficult to grow, but so far, mine have done well. I am using a more open, better draining media when I re-pot them. I am using 1/2 milled sphagnum and the other 1/2 is equal parts expanded rock and medium Douglas fir bark.

Here is how some people grow them - (I took this picture in 2005 in Dijon)

Ah, yes, I have huge pots and lots of bamboo poles to make a trellis. Guess if I can keep the baby alive, that is in my future. Plus a wheeled dolly under the pot for moving it to shelter!

Ken, the one (or ones) at Selby are up near the ceiling of the greenhouse, so yes, they sure are getting some very high light levels.

I have been sifting the leafy stuff from the beds under my oak trees to make a loose mix for my ground orchids. They seem to like it fine. The Phaius all have spikes coming along now, a bit late but so welcome anyway.

I'll have more foliage pictures later today, I hope. It's pouring rain right now and from the radar it will be keeping on for some time.

It just started (lightly) raining here and like you, it is supposed to continue all day and then get down to 37 tonight.

Here's my Paph. Gloria Naugle with its pretty little checked leaves, and Sarcoglottis Sceptroides, whose soft, floppy leaves sport metallic silver stripes, although it's hard to capture the sheen. Jim's plant is probably a much better specimen of this type than mine which is just a baby.

Pretty Paph!
And the Sarcoglottis sceptrodes surely belongs into this thread too, regardless of size. And those wonderful blooms are so bizarre, they need to be shown too, right?

Interesting thread but I have been too busy. Here are some pictures of my Sarcoglottis sceptrodes.



How about the Schomburgkia undulate and its 7 foot spike?


Then there is the bamboo orchid, Arundina graminifolia


Isochilus linearis looks more like a basket of grass than anything else.


The Jewel Orchid Macodes Petola has some nice leaf markings.


For weird flowers, Pholidota imbricata takes the cake.


Jim

Wow, Jim that third picture of the Isochilus is a veritable symphony of beautiful leaves, even if most of them aren't orchids. Some fabulous begonias and broms there as well.

That Macodes Petola has to be the most 'jewelled' of the Jewel orchids. The veins absolutely sparkle with gold, and my DH commented that they look like an electrical wiring diagram . . . he's an engineer, what can I say . . . I had a little one, too, but lost it to overwatering last summer.

Wonderful examples, Jim!
Your Sarcoglottis sceptrodes aka Hand Puppets looks great, the leaves are beautiful! ( mine decided to look a bit sparse this year, hopefully it will green-out again in Summer)
The Macodes petola is a beauty!
I love those grassy wild Orchids and it is certainly good to know how tall some spikes can get!