Dendrochilum arachnites is native to Philippines. This orchid was found on the island of Luzon in the provinces of Benguet, Ifugao, Mountain, Nueva Vizcaya, Pampanga, Quezon and Rizal.
Dendrochilum arachnites also called as The Spider Dendrochilum (refers to the flowers shape), Acoridium arachnites, Platyclinis arachnites, is a species of the genus Dendrochilum. This species was described by Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach in 1882.
IDENTIFY DENDROCHILUM ARACHNITES
Dendrochilum arachnites is native to Philippines. This orchid was found on the island of Luzon in the provinces of Benguet, Ifugao, Mountain, Nueva Vizcaya, Pampanga, Quezon and Rizal. They was also encountered in the Eastern Province on the island of Mindoro; on the Leyte Island in Visayas; in the provinces of Agusan del Norte, Bukidnon, Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental, Davao del Sur, Misamis Occidental, Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga del Sur on the island of Mindanao. They grow often at very bright stands, at heights of 660-2300 m.
It is a small sized, warm to cold growing epiphyte, which reaching 18 cm in height, with 2" (5 cm) between each, rambling, ovoid pseudobulbs carrying a lanceolate, distinctly 3 veined, 10-16 cm long and 2.0-2.5 cm wide leaf.
The Spider Dendrochilum blooms in the winter as a new growth arises with an arching, 20 to 30 flowered inflorescence. The yellowish flowers are up to 2 cm in diameter with more or less distributed side petals. The outer whorls are linear-lanceolate, narrowing gradually from the base to form a sharp tip. The dorsal petal is more or less straightened, while the inner whorl petals are horizontally distributed. The smaller, lance-shaped petals of the inner whorl are directed forward on each side of the spine. The oval lip is narrows to form a blunt tip and has 3 longitudinal ridges extending from the base to more than half the length. The rod has wings at the top with a few thick teeth and a pair of triangles.
DENDROCHILUM ARACHNITES 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:
Dendrochilum arachnites needs a light level of 20000-35000 lux. The light should be slightly filtered or scattered, and the plant should not be exposed to the direct sunlight of the midday sun. Strong air movement should be ensured all the time.
Temperature:
The average temperature of the summer day is 19-22 ° C, the night 13-14 ° C, and the daily difference is 6-8 ° C. If you have a cool humidifier, these plants will be well-placed placed near the cold air outlet of the humidifier. The average temperature of the winter day is 20-21 ° C, the night 11-12 ° C, and the daily difference is 9-10 ° C.
Humidity:
For almost the entire year, The Spider Dendrochilum needs the average humidity of around 90%, and within a few months in winter and at the beginning of spring it is 85%.
Substrate, growing media:
Dendrochilum can not tolerate a soggy substrate, so these plants are often grown on a block of a tree fern with a moss pillow around the roots. But with this method of cultivation it is necessary to maintain high humidity and in summer to water the plant at least once a day. During extremely warm and dry weather, it may be necessary to water several times a day.
This species are also grow very well when planted in tiny pots or baskets with excellent drainage. As a substrate it is better to use a mixture of equal parts of cut sphagnum and cut fibers of a tree fern, but you can also use a substrate based on the bark. However, no matter what substrate is used, it should be well drained so that the roots dry quickly after watering.
Repotting:
This species extremely badly reacts to a solid substrate, so it should be repotted before it begins to decompose. In general, these plants do not tolerate root damage, so during repotting they should be handled very gently.
If repotting or dividing is necessary, it is best done when new roots grow. This allows the plants to stabilize in the shortest possible time and with the least stress.
Watering:
Dendrochilum arachnites should be abundantly watered during the growing season, but we must have perfect drainage, and the substrate around the roots can never be soggy or stale. Outside the growing season, the amount of water should be reduced, but the plants should never dry out completely.
Fertilizer:
It is recommended to use 1/4-1/2 of the recommended dose of orchid fertilizer weekly during the growing season. You can constantly use a balanced fertilizer, and you can apply fertilizer with a high nitrogen content from spring to mid-summer, and then fertilize with high phosphorus content until the end of autumn.
Rest period:
The amount of water for Dendrochilum arachnites should be reduced during the winter, especially when they are grown in the conditions of a short, dark days, but they can never be completely dry for too long. Fertilization should be reduced or eliminated when the amount of water decreases, until spring, when new growths begin to appear and regular watering is resumed.
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