Mormodes rolfeana is native to Ecuador and Peru. In Ecuador, they were meet in the province of Morona-Santiago, in the Cordillera Condor band at an altitude of 1100 m. In Peru, they grow in the Pasco department about 15 km north-east of Oxapampa, along the Gramaz River, at an altitude of 1750 m...
Mormodes rolfeana also called as Rolfe's Mormodes, is a species of the genus Mormodes. This species was described by Lucien Linden in 1891.
IDENTIFY MORMODES ROLFEANA
Mormodes rolfeana is native to Ecuador and Peru. In Ecuador, they were meet in the province of Morona-Santiago, in the Cordillera Condor band at an altitude of 1100 m. In Peru, they grow in the Pasco department about 15 km north-east of Oxapampa, along the Gramaz River, at an altitude of 1750 m. They were also found between Villarica and Cacazu at an altitude of 1500 m and near Oxapampa above Hacienda San Isidro at an altitude of 1885 m. This orchid grows in cool and humid rainforests.
It is a robust, medium sized, caespitose, warm to cool growing epiphytic species, which reaching a height of 60-70 cm, with fusiform to ovoid-fusiform, up to 27 cm in length and up to 3.6 cm in diameter pseudobulbs covered with 6 to 9 pairs of distichous, imbricating leaf sheaths carrying lanceolate to elliptic-lanceolate, subcoriaceous, bright green, up to 25-40 cm long leaves.
Rolfe's Mormodes blooms in the winter and spring on an erect, 28 cm long, 6 to 10 flowered, racemose inflorescence that arises from the lower part of a mature pseudobulb with leaves and has fragrant flowers that are held at midleaf. The flowers are about 10 cm in size. The petals and sepals are greenish with green veins. The lip is golden yellow. Column pink-purple above, with a green stigma and a dark red-purple lid of anther chamber. There is also another description of the flowers as light green or golden-yellow with red or dark green streaks on the flakes of both whorls and at the base of the lip, the inner part of which is dark red-nutty. And another description of the flowers with the dark pink acid with many small, darker red dots on the petals of both whorls.
MORMODES ROLFEANA 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:
Mormodes rolfeana needs a light level of 25000-40000 lux. These plants grow best in bright, but slightly diffused light and need protection from direct southern sun. Strong air movement should be ensured all the time.
Temperature:
It is a plant with moderate thermal requirements. The temperature is similar throughout the year - with the average temperatures of 23-24 ° C, average night temperatures 11-12 ° C, with an amplitude of daily variations of 11-13 ° C. If you have a cooling air humidifier, this orchid will grow well close to the cold, humid air outlet.
Humidity:
Rolfe's Mormodes needs the humidity of 75-80% throughout the year.
Substrate, growing media:
Mormodes rolfeana grow well attached to pieces of tree ferns, with high humidity provided, and during the summer they will be irrigated at least once a day. In the case of such mounted plants, during the dry and hot periods it may be necessary to water several times a day.
However, these plants are usually grow in pots or baskets, using a loose substrate that rapidly drains excess water that contains substances that retain a certain amount, such as sphagnum cut peat moss and perlite. Wood charcoal is also often added to ensure the air permeability of the substrate and protection against acidification. In addition to the standard fir bark substrate, growers successfully use sphagnum moss, pumice, cork pieces, and even a mixture of equal parts of fermented and fresh horse manure and charcoal. As you can see, you can use almost any substrate, provided you choose the right pattern of watering.
Repotting and dividing:
If only sphagnum moss is used as the substrate, then annual repotting will be necessary, because such a substrate decomposes quite quickly. Many people recommend repotting every year regardless of the type of substrate used, but this is not absolutely necessary until it begins to decompose. Repotting is carried out when a new growth appears at the base of the pseudobulb.
All pseudobulbs should be separated and only 1-2 pseudobulbs are left in the pot. Because the old roots are dying, most of them can be cut off. A few can be left to facilitate plant fixing in new substrate until new roots develop. After repotting, no plants are watered until the new growth release the roots into a new substrate, and its height reach 10-12 cm. Only then you can take a normal watering, paying attention to the fact that the water does not get into the funnel parting in the new growth, because it can destroy the growth due to decay.
After repotting 1-2 pseudobulbs, the remaining can be used as the beginnings of new plants. The old roots should be removed, and the pseudobulbs laid flat in a shallow container with sphagnum moss. After some time, from the bottom or sides of the pseudobulb grows new growths. Some recommend that in the waiting period older tubers should be placed in an upright position in empty pots. It may take up to several months before a new growth occurs, but once it appears, the pseudobulb with the new increment should be planted in such a way that the new increment is on the surface of the substrate, or slightly below. If there are several increments along the sides of the pseudobulb, simply place it on the surface of the substrate.
Watering:
Mormodes rolfeana should often be watered during active growth, but excellent drainage should be ensured so that the substrate within the roots is not degraded or soggy.
Fertilizer:
During the active growth, the plants should be fertilized every week 1/4-1/2 of the recommended dose of fertilizer for orchids. A fertilizer with a high nitrogen content is beneficial from spring to mid-summer, and a fertilizer richer in phosphorus should be used in late summer and autumn.
Rest period:
Mormodes rolfeana will feel good at any temperature, as long as they are not wet and the temperatures are not below 0 ° C. When the leaves fall down, the plants need less water, sometimes it can do without watering at all. Too much water in winter is the fastest way to bring the majority of the plants to death. Watering is necessary only when the pseudobulbs strongly wrinkle, but usually this problem does not arise if the humidity is high. Fertilization should be eliminated until new growths appear and more watering begins in the spring. The new growths are extremely sensitive to rotting, so you need to be careful that the water does not rest on the growing young peaks of growth.
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