Does anyone else have this Bill, or recognize it? I bought it from Don Beadle years ago, and while I trust his names implicitly, I can't find any record of this species. Does it exist? There is a B. distachia v. maculata, which this doesn't look like, and I've seen mention of a B. nutans v. maculata, but can't find a picture.

I sent a photo to Michael (since he has inherited all of Don's plants) and he thought that last one was a possibility, but it sure doesn't look like any nutans to me. The little grassy grey thing next to it is nutans v. minima, so that gives you an idea of the relative size, but even if there are larger forms of nutans the flower doesn't look right. Although there is a hint of nutans coloration on the sepals, there is no characteristic blue edge on the petals, and more importantly they are helicoid (tightly coiled like members of the "watchspring" group, i.e. rosea, brasiliensis, decora, etc.).

It really looks like a hybrid to me. Compare the flowers to Windii (link), which is a hybrid of nutans and decora, and very similar-looking. I can't imagine Don mislabeling anything, though. He was always so meticulous, so I don't know what to think.

At any rate, it is a very pretty plant, but sloooow. What you see is all there is, it has never been divided, and this is the first time it's bloomed in the 10 or 12 years that I've had it.

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Here is a link that might be useful: B. Windii