Chiloschista pusilla is native to Sri Lanka and southern Deccan in India. In Sri Lanka, this rare orchid grows epiphytically in trees in the damp, intermediate jungle between tropical lowlands, deciduous forests and in the woods a little further from the ocean...
Chiloschista pusilla also called as The Small Flowered Chiloschista, Epidendrum pusillum, Limodorum pusillum, Oeceoclades retzii, Taeniophyllum pusillum, is a species of the genus Chiloschista. This species was described by Schlechter in 1919.
IDENTIFY CHILOSCHITA PUSILLA
Chiloschista pusilla is native to Sri Lanka and southern Deccan in India. In Sri Lanka, this rare orchid grows epiphytically in trees in the damp, intermediate jungle between tropical lowlands, deciduous forests and in the woods a little further from the ocean. It grows at an altitude of 305-915 m. It was met in the District of Kandy, in Ambagamuwa and Nilambe near Peradeniya.
It is a miniature sized, cool growing epiphyte with numerous long, thick, flattened roots growing out of a very short momentum and small, 1.3 cm long and 0.6 cm wide, sharp tops, and at the base they contract to form a very short petiole, oblong-lanceolate, unstable leaves appear in the period when they plant fruitfully on the plant.
The Small Flowered Chiloschista blooms from March to June with several fragrant flowers on a pendant 3.5 cm long, racemose inflorescence. The straight, sometimes cup-shaped flowers are greenish-yellow and are 0.75 cm in diameter. The bases of the petals of both whorls are covered with woolly, matt hairs. The oblong dorsal flap is concave, has a rounded apex and bends forward, forming a kind of hood above the backbone. The longitudinal-oval lateral outer petals are attached to the base of the rod, have blunt tip, and are more or less directed forward under and both sides of the spine. The longitudinal inner petals are also attached to the base of the rod. They have rounded apexes, curve slightly forward and are distributed on both sides of the spine. The 3-flap lip is about 0.3 cm long and 0.8 cm across the large side plots after they are unfolded. In a natural position, however, these wide-oval side plots are straight. The poorly developed central plot is flattened and its top is divided into a pair of small, blunt-ended flakes. The base of the lip is formed by short, hair-covered bellows. The disc is also covered with hairs and has a V-shaped nodular bulge.
CHILOSCHITA PUSILLA 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:
Chiloschista pusilla needs a light level of 15000-25000 lux. The plants require rather shady positions and filtered or diffused light. Strong air movement should be ensured all the time.
Temperature:
It is a thermophilic plant. In summer, the average day temperature is 26-28 ° C, and the night 20-23 ° C, which gives a daily difference of 5-6 ° C. The average temperature of such a spring day is 29-30 ° C, the night 18-22 ° C, and the daily span lowers from 12 to 8 ° C. The average winter temperature is 27-29 ° C, and 17-19 ° C at night, giving a diurnal difference of 8-12 ° C.
Humidity:
The Small Flowered Chiloschista needs the humidity of around 80% throughout the year.
Substrate, growing media and repotting:
Chiloschista pusilla generally do not produce leaves, so photosynthesis normally taking place in the leaves takes place in the roots. That is why the roots must be exposed to light and these plants can not be grown in pots. They seem to grow better on smooth surfaces, so for their mounting should be used cork or pieces of branches with a smooth bark.
These plants react badly to any manipulations, and removing them from the surface on which they grow, often ends in their death. The plants, especially seedlings after removal from glass, can be attached to pieces of bark or small branches of hard wood. The roots should be carefully but firmly attached to the surface of the pad using a wire or thread. The plant will firmly anchor if it is repotted during the release phase of new roots.
Watering:
For most of the year, rainfall is moderate to heavy, but in winter, for 2-3 months, the conditions change a bit more dry. The plants in cultivation should be kept in moisture during active growth, with slight drying between watering.
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, switching to phosphorus-enriched fertilizer in late summer and autumn.
Rest period:
In winter, the amount of water should be slightly reduced, especially if Chiloschista pusilla are grown under dark, short days, which occurs at moderate latitudes. They should dry a little between watering, but they should never remain dry for a long time. Whenever the amount of water decreases, the fertilization must also be reduced or eliminated. In the natural environment, the brightest days occur in winter.
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