Aspasia psittacina is native to Ecuador. It is an popular orchid in western Ecuador, both in dry and damp tropical forests in the lowlands, below 800 m. They often overgrown in trees that are planted to provide shading on coffee and cocoa plantations...
Aspasia psittacina also called as The Parrot-Colored Aspasia, Odontoglossum psittacinum, is a species of the genus Aspasia. This species was described by Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach in 1878.
IDENTIFY ASPASIA PSITTACINA
Aspasia psittacina is native to Ecuador. It is an popular orchid in western Ecuador, both in dry and damp tropical forests in the lowlands, below 800 m. They often overgrown in trees that are planted to provide shading on coffee and cocoa plantations.
It is a hot growing, caespitose epiphyte, which reaching 44 cm in height, with an elongate stem beneath the oblong-ellipsoid, strongly compressed, stipitate, 12.5 cm long and 4 cm wide pseudobulbs subtended by 3 to 5, foliaceous bracts that are smaller than the 2 leaves which are up to 32 cm long and 5 cm wide, linear-lanceolate and acuminate.
The Parrot-Colored Aspasia blooms in the late winter and early summer on an axillary, variable length, congested raceme arising from mature pseudobulbs, with ovate, acute floral bracts and has 3 to 8, fragrant flowers that open in succession over a long period. The flowers are about 6 cm in height measured from the apex of the straight dorsal leaf to the tips of the obliquely distributed side petals, but are slightly narrower if measured by diagonal, slightly forward directed petals of the inner whorl. The petals of both whorls are yellow in color and are marked with irregular, transverse, red-brown stripes. The lip is white.
ASPASIA PSITTACINA 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:
Aspasia psittacina needs a light level of 20000-35000 lux. The plants grow best in bright, but slightly diffused light and need protection from direct southern sun.
Temperature:
The average temperature of the summer day is 29-30 ° C, the night 19-20 ° C, which gives a daily difference of 9-11 ° C. The average temperature of the winter day is 27-28 ° C, the night 17-18 ° C, giving a daily difference of 9-11 ° C.
Humidity:
The Parrot-Colored Aspasia needs the humidity of 75-80% for most of the year, but drops to 70% over a 3-months period in the spring and early summer.
Substrate, growing media and repotting:
You can use any loose, fast drying ground.
Watering:
In natural habitat, rainfall is abundant for 4 months, from mid-summer to autumn. Their amount is then slowly dropped giving a period of 4 months with low rainfall, which lasts throughout the winter and spring. The Aspasia psittacina plants should be abundantly watered during active growth, but excellent drainage should be ensured. When new growths reach maturity in autumn, the amount of water should be gradually reduced.
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:
In winter, the amount of water for Aspasia psittacina should be reduced, but they can not remain dry for too long. In general, such conditions can be achieved by fairly regular morning fogging, with light, sparse watering, which should provide the necessary dry rest, but it will not lead to drying of the plant. If pseudobulbs begin to wrinkle, increase the amount of water. Fertilization should be reduced or eliminated until spring, when new growths occur and more watering is undertaken.
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