Brassia caudata orchid is native to Florida, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, French Guiana, Surinam, Guyana, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Brazil, usually occupies places where lighting is scarce and the temperature does not exceed 68 - 75ºF. It is usually found from the sea level and up to 1800 meters, although in Cuba it has never been found above the 300 m.
Brassia caudata orchid, also called as The Tailed Brassia, is a species of he genus Brassia. Several synonms are know for this species such as: "Brassia caudata var. hieroglyphica Rchb. f. 1881"; "Brassia lewisii Rolfe 1893"; "Brassia longissima var. minor Schltr. 1922"; "Epidendrum caudatum L. 1763"; "Malaxis caudata (L.) Willd. 1805"; "Oncidium caudatum (L.) Rchb. f. 1863". This species was first described by Lindl. in 1824.
IDENTIFY BRASSIA CAUDATA OCHID
Brassia caudata orchid is native to Florida, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, French Guiana, Surinam, Guyana, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Brazil, usually occupies places where lighting is scarce and the temperature does not exceed 68 - 75ºF. It is usually found from the sea level and up to 1800 meters, although in Cuba it has never been found above the 300 m.
Their situation is different in each one of them, so in Cuba it is qualified as threatened with extinction having been repopulated in provinces such as Pinar del Río, while in the United States it has been removed from the list of endangered species having been counted in higher amounts to the initially pointed.
It is an epiphyte or lithophyte on calcareous rocks, with somewhat flattened pseudobulbs and surrounded by a persistent bract. The pseudobulbs linear to oblong-elliptic, ca 14 cm long and 3.5 cm wide, flattened with sharp edges, 2 (3)-leaved, with 4-6 usually papery bracts at base. Petioles conduplicate; leaves ligular to elliptic-oblong, 16-27 cm long, 2.5-8 cm wide, symmetrical to strongly asymmetrical at apex.
The inflorescence is lateral and sometimes reaches up to 45 cm in length and can be found up to 20 flowers of 15 cm long, which are durable and delicate consistency. The remarkable length of the sepals and the yellow color stained brown provoke the existence of the common names given to the plant.
The Tailed Brassia flowers from January to August , but it is considered that the flowering peaks are between April and May , with prevalence in the latter. Its flowers have a pleasant fragrance and are long lasting; they measure 3.75cm wide and 15cm. long. The shape of the floral pieces mimic in some way the appearance of the spiders as a mimetic mechanism that serves the plant to attract certain species of wasps , which attack the flower believing that it is the arachnids , inadvertently pollinate it.
GROW AND CARE BRASSIA CAUDATA ORCHID
Its cultivation is simple, since its requirements are intermediate conditions in everything: place it in a semi-shaded area, with humidity around 65%, ventilated, at temperatures between 15 and 25 degrees as extremes, fertilize it slightly periodically and water it without excesses. Feed regularly with a balanced, diluted fertilizer like a 20-20-20 and up their feeding if the Brassia caudata’s blooms are insufficient.
Use a pot with a mixture of medium-sized coniferous bark and sphagnum moss with a few pieces of charcoal and some foam or clay for drainage. At the end of the bloom give a few weeks of rest and reduce the risks. Repot it every 2 years or when you see that the substrate is very deteriorated and tend to compact. Place it high so that the flowers can hang freely.
They can be propagated by dividing their pseudobulbs, at the base of the plant, and repotting them in warm, moist conditions. Using a sterilized tool will reduce the plant’s chances of infection. Many gardeners bag up their new cuttings to seal in moisture, which is especially effective in plants like this that require lots of ambient water to grow.
COMMENTS