Orchids in bloom right now
This is Trichopilia tortilis. A central american species that is very easy to grow. Once a year a bud emerges from the lead psuedobulb and then hangs over the pot and produces these neat twisted flowers about 4 inches across.
Another twisted flower that is in bloom right now is Paphiopedlum philippinese var. roebelenii. I was lucky this year to get 4 flowers on one spike. The twisted petals are incredible. I think there is a theory that insects like ants use the twists sort of like a stair way up to the main pollen area. Am not sure....
Last is Sophronitis cernua, a beautiful little minature. This is its first bloom since being repotted onto a new peice of cork bark so I only have 2 flowers. Established plants can get up to 5 flowers on one spike! This Sophronitis likes lots of light and warm temperatures.
posted by Sasha@WCOE @ 4:36 p.m.
7 comments
7 Comments:
Love the sophronitis! Reminds me of the Ceratostylis rubra from the Philippine list. Funny you have the sophronitis in bloom, I was just reading about this genus over the weekend. Great colour!
Lovely photos - the sophronitis is precious! I'm intrigued about the twists, like, how do they curl? Are they already twisted when the bloom is still shut up and closed or do the petals unfurl and then twist?
The twists are neat. The bud opens first with straight petals and as the petals grow larger, it twists. One could take pictures right when the bud starts to open and at the end and almost think it was two different flowers it changes so much. Takes about two full days to get the petals full length and twist
Oh, that Paphiopedilum is gorgeous!
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There is a picture of Sophronitis cernua on the Devil's Excrement orchid blog (Venezuela) from a posting June 10, 2006:
http://blogs.salon.com/0001330/categories/orchids/
I had tried Sophronitis growing before without success. The secret seems to be cork and water. I now have dozens of plants which flower regulraly by placing them under the sprinklers I have to mantain humidity in my orchid room. they get watered there three or four times a day. I gave a friend one and he uses a drip bottle with similar good results. My Cernuas are in flower regularly, the coccineas are growing and flowering. Nice blog!Nice to see orchid blogs growing in numbers!
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