Dracula houtteana is native to Colombia. These plants are found in the West and Central Cordillera in the Departments of Antioquia, Risaralda, Cauca and Chocó. In the Antioquia Department, for the first time, they were encountered near Frontino, at an altitude of about 2440 m...
Dracula houtteana also called as Houtte's Dracula, Dracula callifera, Dracula carderiopsis, Dracula mosquerae, Masdevallia callifera, Masdevallia carderi var. mosquerae, Masdevallia carderiopsis, Masdevallia houtteana, Masdevallia mosquerae, is a species of the genus Dracula. This species was described by Carlyle A. Luer in 1978.
IDENTIFY DRACULA HOUTTEANA
Dracula houtteana is native to Colombia. These plants are found in the West and Central Cordillera in the Departments of Antioquia, Risaralda, Cauca and Chocó. In the Antioquia Department, for the first time, they were encountered near Frontino, at an altitude of about 2440 m. Since then they were still found there, but also near Urrao (1800-2000 m), and near La Ceja, at an altitude of 2400 m. The Risaralda Department found them near Pueblo Rico at an altitude of 1800-2000 m.
It is a small to just medium sized, cold to cool growing epiphyte, which reaching 12-36 cm tall, with stout erect, 2-6 cm long ramicauls enveloped basally by 2 to 3 loose, tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, thinly coriaceous, carinate, narrowly elliptic-obovate, acute, narrowly cuneate into the conduplicate base, 10-30 cm long and 1.0-2.5 cm wide leaf.
Houtte's Dracula blooms in the spring and fall on a 10 cm long, slender, purple, prostrate, loose, successively 1 to 6 flowered inflorescence arising from low on the ramicaul. The flowers have dirty white petals of the outer whorl often with an orange, brown or purple color inside the base, and inside are densely covered with hairs. The outer whorls on the outside are more or less purple-colored. The inner whorls are white and have brown or purple spots. The lip is white, slightly pink in color, and the rod is yellowish-white.
DRACULA HOUTTEANA 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:
Dracula houtteana needs a light level of 12000-18000 lux. The light should be filtered and dispersed, and the plants should not be exposed to the midday sun. Ensure constant, strong air movement.
Temperature:
Throughout the year the average day temperature is 24-26 ° C, the night 11-13 ° C, and the daily difference is 11-14 ° C.
Humidity:
Houtte's Dracula needs the humidity of 70-75% throughout the year.
Substrate, growing media:
Dracula houtteana should be grown mounted on rootstocks or in hanging baskets or mesh pots. When mounted on rootstocks, it is necessary to constantly provide high humidity and watering in summer at least once a day, and in case of hot and dry weather, it may be necessary to water several times a day.
These plants are usually grown in hanging baskets lined with sphagnum and filled with a loose, fast-drying substrate containing chopped sphagnum or perlite to retain moisture and charcoal to prevent souring the substrate while at the same time relaxing it.
Repotting:
Dracula houtteana recommend annual repotting. When using substrate with only loosely packed sphagnum from New Zealand, the plants should be repotted every 9-12 months, especially if the water used is highly mineralized.
When the sphagnum begins to decompose, the balance is dramatically disturbed in the content of trace elements, which can kill plants. However, whatever substrate is used, it should be replaced when it is decomposing, or when the plant grows out of the container.
Repotting is best done when new roots begin to grow. Then the plants are able to stabilize the most quickly. This is usually done at the end of winter or early spring, but it can be done in any period between autumn and spring, as long as it does not interfere with flowering.
Watering:
Precipitation is moderate to heavy for most of the year, and only 2-3 months of winter have slightly less rainfall. The cultivated plants should often be watered during active growth, but excellent drainage should be ensured, and the ground around the roots can never be soggy or stale.
Fertilizer:
It is recommended to apply a 1/4-1/2 dose of orchid fertilizer weekly during the growing season. You can use a balanced fertilizer throughout the year, but also can use high-nitrogen fertilizer from spring to mid-summer, and then until the end of autumn, high phosphorus fertilizer.
Rest period:
In winter, Dracula houtteana require less water, but they can never dry up completely or stay out of water for too long. Fairly frequent morning fogging between occasional, light watering should provide the plants with enough moisture. Fertilization should be reduced or eliminated until new growths appear in the spring and more abundant watering starts.
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