Comparettia speciosa is native to Ecuador. They grows in the very humid mountain forests of the south-eastern provinces of Zamora-Chinchipe and Morona-Santiago. They grow at an altitude of 1000-1500 m above sea level...
Comparettia speciosa also called as The Beautiful Comparettia, is a species of the genus Comparettia. This species was described by Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach in 1878.
IDENTIFY COMPARETTIA SPECIOSA
Comparettia speciosa is native to Ecuador. They grows in the very humid mountain forests of the south-eastern provinces of Zamora-Chinchipe and Morona-Santiago. They grow at an altitude of 1000-1500 m above sea level.
It is a miniature to small sized, warm to cool pendant growing, twig epiphyte, which reaching a height of about 25 cm, with oblong-cylindric, lightly compressed pseudobulbs carrying a single apical, oblong-lanceolate, petiolate, acute and minutely bilobed at the apex, coriaceous, 10-25 cm long leaf.
The Beautiful Comparettia blooms in the summer on a delicate, basal, erect to arching, 30 cm or longer, sometimes irregularly branched, racemose inflorescence with up to 8 successively opening flowers that can branch and re-flower if left alone and occur. The light-orange flowers are about 3.5 cm high and 3 cm wide across a flat, wide-spread 3-flap lip. The dorsal petal is directed forward, above the backbone. The side flakes of the external whorl are connected to form an elongated, bent, slender, tubular spur up to 3.5 cm long. The oval petals of the inner whorl have sharp tips. The wingless rod is greenish and the anther is white.
COMPARETTIA SPECIOSA CARE AND CULTURE
Cultural information should only be used as a guide, and should be to be adapted to suit you. Your physical location; where you grow your plants, how much time you have to devote to their care, and many other factors, will need to be taken into account. Only then can you decide on the cultural methods that best suit you and your plants.
Light:
Comparettia speciosa needs a light level of 8000-15000 lux. The light should be filtered and dispersed, and the plants should not be exposed to direct sunlight. Strong air movement should be ensured all the time.
Temperature:
It is a thermophilic plant. Throughout the year, the average day temperature is 23-25 ° C, and the average night temperature is 14-15 ° C, with a daily amplitude of 8-10 ° C.
Humidity:
The Beautiful Comparettia needs the humidity of 80% or more throughout the year.
Substrate, growing media and repotting:
Due to the hanging habit, it is easier to grow Comparettia speciosa attached to tree-trunks or cork. However, high humidity should be ensured, which means that in the summer the plants should be watered at least once a day. In the case of such suspended plants, during the dry and hot periods it may be necessary to water several times a day.
These plants can also grow in small, hanging pots or baskets. The substrate should be loose and well-permeable. You can use products that retain some moisture, such as chopped sphagnum moss and perlite. Wood charcoal is also often added to ensure the air permeability of the substrate and protection against acidification.
The substrate kept in continuous humidity decomposes relatively quickly, so it will be beneficial for plant health to repot each year. Repotting is usually done in late winter or early spring. It's best to do it when new roots start growing. This allows plants to quickly root themselves, preventing weakness.
Watering:
In the natural habitat, moderate and even heavy rainfall occurs throughout the year. In winter conditions are a bit drier, but considering fog and dew, the environment never completely dries up. The plants should be constantly moist, and between the next watering should only slightly dry out.
Fertilizer:
If the plants grow in sphagnum moss, tree fern or Osmund fern roots, they should be fertilized every 2-3 weeks with 1/4-1/2 of the recommended dose of orchids for orchids. If they grown in a bed of pine bark, fertilization must be applied weekly.
At the beginning of the year, when the period of intensive growth, you can use nitrogen enriched fertilizer. Then in late summer and autumn, use fertilizers with a high content of phosphorus or "bloom booster" to stimulate the plants to flower.
Rest period:
In winter, the amount of water should be slightly reduced, especially if Comparettia speciosa are grown in dark, short days, which occurs in moderate latitudes. However, do not allow it to completely dry up. In winter, when watering is limited, fertilization should also be reduced.
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