Odontoglossum
Odontoglossum
About 90 species belong to this genus. These wonderful plants are the cherished dream of every lover of orchids and collectors. However odontoglossums can not be called widespread in the rooms culture, which is due to the complexity of their cultivation. Homeland of this genus are the moist mountain forests of the equatorial zone of South America( penetrate to a height of over 3000 m).The values of temperature and humidity there are constantly high. Something similar is difficult to model even in the terrarium, not to mention a simple living room. At the same time, there are species tolerant of "severe" room conditions. The most widely distributed are the following species:
Odontoglossum bicontinense
O. bictoniense
Homeland - Central America.
Pseudobulbs ovate, up to 12 cm. Leaves narrow-lanceolate, up to 40 cm long. Tsvetonos up to 1 m in height, multiflorous. Flowers 3-4 cm, petals yellow-green, with brown spots. The lip is purple. Blossoms from October to December.
Odontoglossum curly
O. crispum
Homeland - Colombia.
Pseudobulbs are ovoid. Leaves are linear, up to 40 cm long. The flower stem is densely covered with flowers. Flowers reach 10 cm. Coloration is variable: white or pale pink with reddish-brown spots on petals. Lip white with red spots and yellowish middle. Blooms in February-March.
Odontoglossum large
O. grande
Homeland - Costa Rica.
Pseudobulbs are widely oval, up to 8 cm. The leaves are elliptical, up to 25 cm long. The flower-bud with 3-6 flowers, which reach 20 cm in diameter. The petals are yellow, with brown transverse strokes. The lip is white or yellow, with brown divorces. The pattern of spots and strokes is very variable. Blossoms from November to March.
Odontoglossum beautiful
O. pulchellum
Homeland - Costa Rica and Guatemala.
Pseudobulbs ovate, 5-8 cm. Leaves are linear, narrow, up to 30 cm long. The flower spike with 8-10 flowers, which reach only 3 cm in diameter. The lip is white, at the base is covered with red dots. Flowers emit a hyacinth smell. Blooms in February - March.
In addition, it forms a series of cultogenic intergeneric hybrids with their own names. Courting for these plants is the same as for the genus as a whole. Examples of such hybrids are:
• Odontioda( Odontoglossum x Cochlioda);
• Vuylstekeara
( Odontoglossum x Cochlioda x Milto-nia);
• Odontoma( Odontoglossum x Miltonia);
• Colmanara
( Odontoglossum x Miltonia x Oncidium);
• Odontocidium
.(Odontoglossum x Oncidium).
Courtship. Dwarf species of odonto glosses are best cultivated in block culture. The rest( medium and large species) work well in ordinary pots with a lot of drainage holes and in a standard nutrient mix. As a basis, you can take the following composition: roots of ferns, sphagnum, half-baked leaves( 2: 2: 2).For block culture, a mixture of fern roots( centipedes) and moss-sphagnum( 3: 1) is required. It needs diffuse lighting, and some species grow well in the penumbra. In the period of active growth requires abundant watering and high humidity. The rest period is very short or almost not expressed. In winter, a slight drop in temperature is necessary, accompanied by a decrease in watering and humidity. There is a "golden rule": if the temperature of the medium is within 10-15 ° C - water should be very carefully and not spray. At temperatures above 15 ° C, you can water and spray without fear. However, in any case, do not overmoisten and stagnant water at the roots! For the growth of plants require a lot of fresh moist air, but absolutely can not stand drafts. At present, this problem is solved with the help of automatic artificial climate systems. Such systems ensure a constant temperature, a high level of humidity and air circulation. That's why they are recommended for use in orchid greenhouses.
Oncidium
Oncidium
This large family includes about 700 species of tropical orchids. Distribution is quite wide: from Northern Mexico to Bolivia and Paraguay. Plants are usually thrown out by large peduncles, covered with small flowers. In culture are presented:
Oncidium bicarbonate
O. bicallosum
Homeland - Guatemala.
Pseudobulbs are very short, and the leaves are dense, fleshy. Tsvetonos reaches 40 cm in height, carries about 15 flowers, 6 cm in diameter. Outside the corolla is greenish-yellow, and inside it is golden yellow. The lip is covered with red dots. Blooms in August-November.
Harrison Oncidium
O. harrisonianum
Homeland - Brazil.
Pseudobulbs rounded, up to 2.5 cm. Leaves linguiform, up to 12 cm long. Tsvetonos reaches 30 cm in height, covered with numerous( up to 25) flowers, 1.8 cm in diameter. Corolla yellow with red-brick spots. Blossoms in October-November.
Oncidium beaky
O. ornithorhynchum
Homeland - Mexico, Guatemala.
Pseudobulbs are ovoid. Tsvetonos slightly branched, carries numerous small flowers. The petals are pink, but on the lip there is a golden yellow pattern. Flowers emit a strong pleasant smell. Blossoms from October to November.
Oncidium mothy
O. papilio
Homeland - Venezuela.
Pseudobulbs are oval. Leaves are fleshy, elliptical, green with red spots. Tsvetonos reaches 110 cm in height. Flowers have large sizes: up to 12 cm in diameter. Color petals brown, with yellow spots. The lip, on the other hand, is yellow with a brown pattern. Blossoms at any time.
Oncidium tiny
O. pusillum
Homeland - Venezuela.
The leaves are lanceolate, up to 4 cm long. Tsvetonos bears 1-2 flowers 1,3 cm in diameter. Petals yellow with red spots. The lip is golden yellow with red dots. Blooms from July to August.
Oncidium variable
O. varicosum
Homeland - Brazil.
Pseudobulbs are elongated-oval, up to 10 cm. Leaves are linear, up to 20 cm long. Chlatonos branching, multiflorous, up to 1.5 m in height. The flowers are yellow-green, the lips are golden. Has the form of O. varicosum var.rogersii with especially large and bright flowers. Blossoms in October - January.
Courtship. General requirements of species of this genus are basically similar to odonto- glossum( see Odontoglossum).However, they need more heat and light. They grow well in standard nutrient mixtures, in small pots. Dwarf species must be grown in a mini-block culture.