Euchile citrina occurs only in Mexico. It grows mainly on mountain slopes directed towards the Pacific in the states of Durango, Guerrero, Jalisco, Michoacan, Nayarit, Oaxaca and Sianola...
Euchile citrina also called as Daffodil Orchid, Tulip Orchid, The Citrus Euchile, Cattleya citrina, Cattleya sulfurina, Encyclia citrina, Epidendrum citrinum, Hormidium citrinum, Prosthechea citrina, Sobralia citrina, is a species of the genus Euchile. This species was described by Carl Leslie Withner in 1998.
IDENTIFY EUCHILE CITRINA
Euchile citrina occurs only in Mexico. It grows mainly on mountain slopes directed towards the Pacific in the states of Durango, Guerrero, Jalisco, Michoacan, Nayarit, Oaxaca and Sianola. There are reports of these plants meeting on the slopes facing the Gulf of Mexico in the state of Veracruz. They grow in fairly dark oak and oak-pine forests at heights of 1300-2200 m. They have a hanging habit, hanging upside down from the bottom of the tree branches on which they grow.
It is a small sized, pendant, epiphytic, cool to cold growing orchid, which reaching a height of 25 cm, with clustered, pendant, ovoid, conical or fusiform, 5 cm tall pseudobulbs carrying 2 to 4 towards the apex, elliptic, obtuse or acute, up to 20 cm long leaves.
The Citrus Euchile blooms in the spring or early summer on an apical, pendant racemose inflorescence that is the 20 cm long, or the length of the leaves, with 1 or 2 fragrant waxy flowers smelling of citrus. The flowers with a length of 7.5 cm have the shape of bells and do not open completely. The flakes of both whorls are usually bright lemon-yellow, but they can be pale yellow to canary-yellow or almost orange. All parts of the flower are the same length, but the petals of the inner whorl are slightly wider than the outer whorl. The large lip is 3.8-5.0 cm wide, the middle and throat is deep gold-yellow, and its undulated edge is often white.
EUCHILE CITRINA 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:
Euchile citrina needs a light level of 25000-35000 lux. Strong air movement should be ensured all the time.
Temperature:
In summer, the average day temperature is 25-27 ° C, night 13-14 ° C, with a daily amplitude of 12-13 ° C. In spring preceding, the day average temperature is 28-29 ° C, at night 10 to 13 ° C, and the daily difference decreases from 17 to 16 ° C. The average winter temperature is 23-25 ° C, at night 7-8 ° C, with a daily difference of 16-17 ° C.
Humidity:
The Citrus Euchile needs the humidity of 70-75% in summer and early autumn, decreasing in winter and spring to 55-60%.
Substrate, growing media and repotting:
Euchile citrina should be mounted on cork washers, coarse, rough bark or tree fern fibers, with leaves pointing downwards. The plants can divide or change rootstocks when new roots start growing.
Watering:
Rainfall in the period from late spring to early autumn is moderate to heavy, but then drastically decreases at the end of autumn and winter. The cultivated plants should often be watered during full growth, but the roots must always dry quite quickly after watering. When new growths reach maturity in the autumn, the amount of water should be 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. You can use fertilizer with low nitrogen content in the autumn, and high content of phosphorus. It improves flowering in the next season and strengthens new growth before winter.
Rest period:
In winter, watering for Euchile citrina should be reduced during this period, but dryness should not be allowed. Light fogging is sufficient every few days, if the weather is sunny, but if it is rainy, cloudy weather, the plants are left for up to two weeks without fogging.
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