Maxillaria cucullata is native to Mexico, most of the area of Central America and the northern part of South America. These plants grow on trees, on rocks and on the ground.
Maxillaria cucullata also called as The Cowl Carrying Maxillaria, Camaridium cucullatum, Maxillaria atrata, Maxillaria galeata, Maxillaria praestans, Maxillaria rubrilabia, Psittacoglossum cucullatum, is a species of the genus Maxillaria. This species was described by John Lindley in 1840.
IDENTIFY MAXILLARIA CUCULLATA
Maxillaria cucullata is native to Mexico, most of the area of Central America and the northern part of South America. These plants grow on trees, on rocks and on the ground. They are found in rare or densely moist forests, in coffee plantations, pastures and in positions in mountain rain forests. Although they are usually found at the altitudes of 1500-2300 m, but also lower at an altitude of 1200 m or much higher, at an altitude of 3300 m.
It is a small sized, warm to cold growing epiphyte, terrestrial or lithophyte, which reaching 50 cm in height, with a small, 2.5-9.5 cm long, 1-3 cm wide pseudobulbs enveloped almost completely by several scarious sheaths and carrying a single, apical, linear to oblong elliptic, coriaceous, obtuse or rounded apically, basally conduplicate, 11-40 cm long and 1-5 cm wide leaf that has variable foliage and flowers borne through the axils of the several, distichous sheaths subtending the clustered, ovoid-oblong, compressed pseudobulbs.
The Cowl Carrying Maxillaria blooms on a 5 to 15" (7.5 to 37 cm) long, solitary flowered inflorescence arising on a mature pseudobulb and that has scarious-fibrous bracts that almost completely cover the peduncle and fragrant flowers and occurring in the fall and early winter. The flowers do not fully open, they are 4.5 cm in diameter after spreading the side petals of the external whorl. The colors of the flowers may be from yellowish to almost black, often with red or chestnut stripes and dots. The outer whorls can be of any shape from elliptic-lanceolate to lanceolate. They have sharp tips, a smaller or larger longitudinal bulge on the underside and are somewhat longitudinally folded at the apex and along the central nerve. The dorsal petal is directed forward, forming a kind of a hood over the backbone, while the angled sideways flanking slightly downward are widely spread. The side flakes at the base are attached to the base of the rod to form a short funnel. The wide-elliptic to the narrow-lanceolate petals of the inner whorl are rather sharp and often folded along the central nerve near the apex, on a small length. They move forward from each side of the rod to form a cap covering it at the top. The lip is generally 3-flap, straight or cup-shaped, attached to the base of the rod when unfolded. The side plots around the center of the lip are usually triangular and bend up, covering the spine. The wide oval or ovoid central plot is blunt or sharp at the longitudinally folded top. On the upper surface of the middle plot is more or less covered with papillary prominences, with a grooved, spatulate or spatural thickening between the side plots.
MAXILLARIA CUCULLATA 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:
Maxillaria cucullata needs a light level of 18000-35000 lux. Bright light should be slightly filtered or scattered, and the plants should not be exposed to the direct sunlight of the midday sun. Strong air movement should be ensured all the time.
Temperature:
It is a plant with moderate thermal requirements. In summer, the average day temperature is 21-22 ° C, the night 12-13 ° C, which gives a daily difference of 8-9 ° C. If you have a cooling air humidifier, the orchid will grow well close to the cold, humid air outlet. In winter, the average day temperatures are 19-21 ° C, and the night 9-10 ° C, with a daily amplitude of 9-11 ° C.
Humidity:
The Cowl Carrying Maxillaria needs the humidity of about 75-80% for most of the year, and it drops to about 65% for a few months at the end of winter and early spring.
Substrate, growing media and repotting:
Maxillaria cucullata can be grown in containers with good drainage or on cork or tree fern rootstock. Such cultivation requires, however, maintaining high humidity, and in the summer of daily watering. In the period of extremely hot and dry weather, attached plants may require even several waterings during the day.
They are also grown in pots or baskets using a very loose, fast-drying substrate, such as medium-sized bark pieces or chopped tree fern fibers. Other ingredients are often added to such a substrate. The addition of pearlite improves the structure of the substrate, and both perlite and cut sphagnum moss allow to retain a certain amount of moisture in the substrate. Wood charcoal is also often added to ensure the air permeability of the substrate and protection against acidification.
These plants should be repotted when the substrate begins to decompose or grow out of the pots. If repotting is done at the time when new roots begin to appear, the plant will be accepted and rooted in the shortest possible time.
Watering:
Maxillaria cucullata should often be watered during active growth from late spring to autumn, but excellent drainage should be ensured, and the roots must dry fast after watering. When new growths reach maturity in the autumn, the amount of water should be reduced.
Fertilizer:
During the active growth Maxillaria cucullata should be fertilized every week 1/4-1/2 of the recommended dose of fertilizer for orchids. You can use of sustainable fertilizers throughout the year, but you can also use fertilizer with an increased nitrogen content from spring to mid-summer, and then in late summer and autumn fertilizer containing an increased content of phosphorus.
Rest period:
The amount of water should be limited in winter, especially when Maxillaria cucullata are grown in cooler conditions or in the darker, short day typical of moderate latitudes. However, they should not dry up completely, especially for a longer period. Fertilization should be reduced or eliminated until new growths appear and a more abundant spring watering begins.
COMMENTS