Repotting Dtps. Yu Pin Burgundy

Dtps. Yu Pin Burgundy

     On March 09, I noticed some more rotten roots through the clear plastic, and decided that I could not risk waiting any longer to repot.  If the stress of repotting would blast the flower buds, so be it.

 

Extensive root damage

 

Remaining roots after trimming off dead and rotten material

     When I removed the orchid from its pot, I discovered extensive root damage.  Most of the roots were either dried out, or rotten.  Only 4 living roots remained, and those were all shriveled and unhealthy still.

 

     My suspicion is that the damage was caused by cold shock.  My orchid shelves are next to an open window, and this season had some very cold nights.  Further, the water I use on my orchids is stored in a glass tub right next to the window, so I was likely watering my phals with water that was far too cold for their roots to handle. 

 

     In the meantime, I treated the orchid with fungicide, and repotted into a smaller 4-inch pot.  The orchid is now looking very scraggly and dehydrated, and losing leaves.  I hope it manages to pull through.  In the meantime, it has managed to open some of its flowers, which I will post about at a later date.

New York Orchid Show 2013: Cattleyas

Laelia superbiens

     Laelia superbiens was a striking tree-like specimen.  Many of the growths were over 5 feet tall, raising the mops of lilac blooms over the heads of passersby.

Rhyncattleanthe Fuchs Orange Nugget 'Lea'

     A name to pronounce at ones own risk.  This orchid, and the next one below, were both blooming in the miniatures terrarium.

Rhyncattleanthe Hsinying Catherine 'Dogashima'

New York Orchid Show 2013: Terrestrial Orchids

Ludisia discolor

     I'm running up quite the backlog of updates on my orchids, since I've dedicated the last three weeks for posting photos from the New York Orchid Show.  This set on terrestrial orchids is the second to last.  Either tomorrow or the day after I will post a very small set of photos on cattleyas from the show, and after that I will be happy to get back to writing about updates on my own orchid collection.  The last few weeks have been quite busy, with at least 4 new blooming updates to come.

      In the meantime, here are the terrestrial orchids from the show.  Like the Black Jewel Orchid pictured above, these orchids are unique in that they grow in soil (rather than epiphytically or lithophytically).  Unfortunately I did not get any clear shots of the Ludisia discolor blooms, but it's little white flowers were not particularly showy anyway.  The orchid is most prized for the striking patterning on its leaves.

Epidendrum Secret Valley 'Orange Sugar'

Epidendrum Secret Valley 'Orange Sugar' 

Epidendrum Secret Valley 'Orange Sugar'

     The above three shots are different angles of Epidendrum Secret Valley.  The show had several large plots covered with these flowers. Epidendrums are reed-like orchids, that grow these long arching stems.  I'm not sure why the flowers in the middle picture were a different shade of orange than the other ones, since all very labeled as the same cross.  

Epidendrum secundum

     Epidendrum secundum is a varied species found in many parts of the Caribbean  Central and South America.  The flowers come in different shades, and the ones at the show were a lovely shade of lilac.

Gastrophaius Micro Burst 'Orchtoberfest'

Gastrophaius Micro Burst 'Orchtoberfest'

     Phaius are among my favorite orchids which I will never grow in NYC because of their size demands.  At last year's Orchid Show, the Phaius tankervilleae left such a great impression on me, that I was one click away from ordering one for myself a few days later.  Ultimately, I came to my senses and realized that I had no room left for a 5-foot tall sun-loving shrub.

Phaius tankvervilleae

     I did not see P. tankervilleae at the garden this year, but they did have a hybrid which uses it as a parent.  Gastrophaius Micro Burst is a cross between Gastrochis pulchra and P. tankvervilleae.

Spathoglottis plicata

Spathoglottis plicata

     Spathoglottis plicata are a smallish terrestrial species found in tropical and subtropical Asia and Western Pacific.  There were a couple different color forms present.

New York Orchid Show 2013: Paphiopedilums

Paphiopedilum gratrixianum

     There were only very few paphs to be seen at the Orchid Show this year.  But here they are.

Paphiopedilum Puppentaz

      Paph. Puppentaz appears to be an unregistered hybrid between Paphiopedilum kolopakingii and Paphiopedilum Haynaldianum.

 

Two shots of Paphiopedilum (Toni Semple x liemianum '#5')

New York Orchid Show 2013: Dendrobiums

Dendrobium kingianum

Dendrobium braianense

Dendrobium Burana Greenstar

Dendrobium cymbidioides (Epigeneium cymbidioides)

     This cool miniature orchid gets its name "cymbidioides" in reference to its resemblance to cymbidium flowers.  However, the orchid is actually a dendrobium.  It belongs to a group of species formerly known as "epigeneiums".  The genus was subsumed into the larger "dendrobium" grouping around 2004, but the term remains in common use.

Dendrobium hemimelanoglossum

Unlabeled phalaenopsis type dendrobium

New York Orchid Show 2013: Strange and unusual orchid species

Acianthera prolifera

     One of my favorite aspects of this year's Orchid Show was the opportunity to see some truly unusual orchid flowers.

     Acianthera prolifera (also known as Pleurothallis prolifera) is a miniature species from Venezuela.  Its flowers are about 1/8 of an inch in size, and have not yet opened in the picture above. (There is one opened bloom on the far left)

Dendrochilum sp. (Den. kingianum on left)

          Dendrochilum are a genus of miniature fragrant orchids from Southeast Asia.  The one pictured above was a particularly small specimen in the miniatures display.

Dendrochilum cobbianum

Dendrochilum cobbianum closeup

Robiquetia cerina 'Waterfield'

     Robiquetia cerina was probably one of the most unusual orchids at the exhibit.  The plant was rather large, its thick canes of fleshy silvery leaves growing at waist height.  Each inflorescence was comprised of hundreds of tiny cupped flowers.  This species originates in the Philippines.

Robiquetia cerina 'Waterfield' closeup

Scaphosepalum ovulare

    This is tiny miniature from Ecuador is another former Pleurothallis, which has since been reclassified into its own genus.  The cupped 0.2" flowers, reminded me of berries.

Schoenorchis paniculata

     This Malaysian species was hidden away behind glass in the miniatures display (hence the unfortunate glare in this photo).  Each flower is only 1/8" in size, and the entire inflorescence rather reminded me of some weeds.

Stenosarcos Vanguard 'Fireball'

     Stenosarcos Vanguard is a cross between Sarcoglottis speciosa and Stenorrhynchos albidomaculatum.  Vanguard appears to be the only member of this genus.  

Trichopilia suavis

    This is a species from Central America.  The 4" flowers cluster around the base of the plant.  Trichopilia is a member of the Oncidiinae subtribe, making it a relative of the oncidiums.  Indeed, its pseudobulb and leaf structure look very much like those of incidium orchids.  However, the species' blooming habit is entirely unique.

New York Orchid Show 2013: Cymbidiums

Coelogyne nitida (not quite a cymbidium but related)

Cymbidium Satin Doll 'Sunflower'

Cymbidium (Sussex Dawn x Via Verde Dawn 'Citron Alba')

Cymbidium Ian Stewart 'Shell Pink'

Cymbidium Marie Bashir 'Lamp Lighter'

Cymbidium Via Haute-Pink 'Valentine Rose'

Cymbidium Via Rosita 'Easter Pink'

Unlabeled Cymbidium

Unlabeled Cymbidium

Maria's Orchids is now on Facebook

    I'm starting a new Facebook page for the blog, called Maria's Orchids (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Marias-Orchids/475622279162996).  

     My idea is to use the Facebook page to provide faster notifications of new posts, and also as a convenient gathering place for photos from this blog.

    I'm pretty new to all this, so if anyone has ideas I'd love to hear them.  And I invite anyone reading this blog to come join me on Facebook.

New York Orchid Show 2013: Angraecoids

Angraecum sesquipidale 'Waterfield Easter Bunny'

     There were only two species of the Angraecoid alliance that I spotted at the Orchid Show this year, but one of them made a huge impression.  That was the giant display of three Angraecum sesquipidale plants pictured above.  The waxy white flowers were by far the largest of any orchids at the show.  IOSPE reports that flowers can reach up to 7" wide, but I'm certain that these blooms were significantly larger than that.

Angraecum sesquipidale 'Waterfield Easter Bunny'

     Each flower has a nectar-containing spur which can be as many as 14" long. Upon seeing these flowers, Darwin hypothesized the existance of a pollinating insect whose proboscis would be long enough to reach into those spurs. Darwin's prediction of a pollinator with a foot-long proboscis was ridiculed.

     21 years after Darwin's death, the moth (Xanthopan morgani) was discovered, in what has become one of the most celebrated predictions from the theory of evolution. 

     I am disappointed that I didn't get better photos of this magnificent orchid, but unfortunately I was a little rushed while I was passing that area.

Aerangis citrata

     The other blooming Angraecoid at the show was Aerangis citrata, an orchid that was hidden behind glass in a miniatures display.  The leaves of the plant were hidden behind the scenery, showing only the long sprays of small white flowers.

New York Orchid Show 2013: Vandas

Vanda Pachara Delight

     There weren't too many vandas featured at the orchid show, but they nonetheless made a strong impression.  I don't grow these because of their demanding space and watering requirements, but I certainly love their flowers.

Ascocenda Tubtim Velvet x Vanda Kultana Gold

Unlabeled blue vanda

Vanda Trevor Rathbone 'Banjong'

Vanda Kuva Dee Black

Unlabeled blue vanda