Pleurothallis tribuloides is native to Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and the Caribbean. In Mexico, these plants are meet in Oaxaca and Chiapas at the heights of 180-940 m, they also occurs in wet forests in the states of San Luís Potosí and Veracruz...
Pleurothallis tribuloides also called as The Thorny Pleurothallis, Cryptophoranthus acaulis, Cryptophoranthus tribuloides, Cymbidium tribuloides, Dendrobium tribuloides, Epidendrum tribuloides, Humboldtia tribulodes, Humboltia tribulodes, Pleurothallis fallax, Pleurothallis spathulata, Specklinia tribuloides, Tribulago tribuloides, is a species of the genus Pleurothallis. This species was described by John Lindley in 1830.
IDENTIFY PLEUROTHALLIS TRIBULOIDES
Pleurothallis tribuloides is native to Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and the Caribbean. In Mexico, these plants are meet in Oaxaca and Chiapas at the heights of 180-940 m, they also occurs in wet forests in the states of San Luís Potosí and Veracruz. In Belize, they can be found on trees in the humid forests of the Cayo and Toledo districts. In Guatemala they were met in the Izabal department, where they grew epiphytically in dense, wet forest at the heights up to 1300 m. In Nicaragua they were harvested in Granada and Zelaya at an altitude of about 370 m. In Costa Rica they were found in the province of Guanacaste, at the heights of 800-1160 m, in the province of Puntarenas at the heights of 300-1200 m, and in the province of San Jose at an altitude of 400 m. In the Caribbean, they are found in Jamaica, Cuba and Trinidad.
It is a miniature sized, hot to cool growing densly caespitose, unifoliate epiphytic species, which reaching up to 8 cm tall, with subcoriaceous, elliptic-oblanceolate, apiculate, up to 7 cm long and 1.5 cm wide, gradually narrowing below into the petiolate base leaf and subtended by a very short ramicaul enveloped basally by 2 to 3 tubular sheaths.
The Thorny Pleurothallis blooms in the late summer and fall on an apical, short to 1/4", to 4, successively flowered, racemose, inflorescence that holds the flowers. The flowers do not open completely and are 5-8 mm in diameter, have a brick-red or deep chestnut color, the outer whorl flakes have tiny warts on the outer surfaces, along the banks are densely covered with hairs and have small bumps scattered on the inner surface above the center. The outer whorls are directed forward and connected by peaks, leaving a hole on each side through which pollinating insects can enter the flower. Small petals of the inner whorl, closed inside the shells formed by the outer petals, have an ovoid shape, are sharp, fleshy, above the center on the underside have bulges. The lip is curved to curved with longitudinal grooves in the normal position, but when unfolded it is elongated. On each side below the center has a tooth, it is broadly rounded at the top, covered with hairs along the edges towards the apex.
PLEUROTHALLIS TRIBULOIDES 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:
Pleurothallis tribuloides needs a light level of 12000-18000 lux. The light should be filtered or dispersed, and the plants should not be exposed to direct sunlight in the afternoon hours. Strong air movement should be ensured all the time.
Temperature:
It is a plant with moderate/cold thermal requirements. In summer the average day temperature is 24 ° C, the average night 16-17 ° C, which gives a daily difference of 7-8 ° C. In winter, the average day temperature is 20-21 ° C, night 13 ° C, with a daily amplitude of 7-8 ° C.
Humidity:
The Thorny Pleurothallis needs the humidity of probably around 80% throughout the year.
Substrate, growing media:
Pleurothallis tribuloides can be grown in small pots or baskets or mounted on pieces of tree ferns with peat moss pillows around the roots, with high humidity ensured and daily watering in the summer, during the dry and hot periods it may be necessary to water several times a day.
These plants are also grown in pots or baskets using a very loose, fast-drying substrate, such as fir bark or chopped tree fern fibers. Also, the materials that release the substrate but often retain a portion of the moisture, e.g. perlite, are often added to such a mixture. The addition of charcoal also improves the permeability of the substrate, and also protects against acidification.
Repotting:
Pleurothallis tribuloides react badly to any manipulations, so they should be repotted or divided only when absolutely necessary. However, because these plants do not tolerate also the decaying soil around the roots, they should be repotted immediately when the substrate begins to decompose. Therefore, it is recommended to choose a substrate such as tree fern fibers, because these are slowly decomposed. 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. If the plant was divided, it may take up to two years to recover.
Watering:
The plants should be watered abundantly during the period of intensive growth from the summer to the beginning of winter, but excellent drainage should be ensured so that the ground around the roots is never desiccated 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. From spring to mid-summer, you can use fertilizer enriched with nitrogen, then switching to phosphorus-enriched fertilizer in late summer and autumn.
Rest period:
Pleurothallis tribuloides need less water in the winter, especially if they grow under the conditions of a dark, short day that occurs in moderate latitudes. However, these plants should never be completely dried up. Fertilization should be reduced or eliminated until new growths appear and a more abundant spring watering begins.
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