Fernandezia ionanthera is native to Ecuador and Peru. This orchid is found in numerous places in southwestern Ecuador in the provinces of Loja and Zamora-Chinchipe...
Fernandezia ionanthera also called as The Violet Column Fernandezia, Centropetalum ionantherum, Nasonia ionanthera, is a species of the genus Fernandezia. This species was described by Rudolf Schlechter in 1920.
IDENTIFY FERNANDEZIA IONANTHERA
Fernandezia ionanthera is native to Ecuador and Peru. This orchid is found in numerous places in southwestern Ecuador in the provinces of Loja and Zamora-Chinchipe, where it grows in damp, mountain forests at heights of 2500-2900 m. Reports of occurrence in Peru are given by the departments of Cajamarca, Amazonas and Huánuco, where they grow in damp, mountain forests at an altitude of 2400-3000 m.
It is a miniature sized, cold growing, pseudo monopodial epiphyte or occasional lithophyte, which reaching up to 15 cm high, with a leafy, branching, up to 15 cm long stem with ovate-lanceolate, acute, shallowly concave, conduplicate below into the clasping base, up to 2 cm long and 0.4 cm wide leaves.
The Violet Column Fernandezia has a sessile, axillary from the topmost leaf axils, single flowered inflorescence with minute floral bracts that occurs in the fall through spring. The flowers are 2 cm in diameter. The flowers are crimson to blood-red and have a black spot on the upper part of the spine. The petals of both whorls diverge back sharply, almost touching the tops. Outer petals are long-lanceolate and have sharp tips. The inner whorls are diagonally inversely lanceolate with pointed ends and on the underside they have bulges towards the apex. The lip is broadly heart-shaped, with a short, narrow claw at the base, which is connected to the base of the spine.
FERNANDEZIA IONANTHERA 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:
Temperature:
It is a cold-loving plant. Throughout the year, the average day temperature is 17-19 ° C, the night 5-7 ° C, giving a daily difference of 11-13 ° C. These plants can not tolerate temperatures above 27 ° C and are difficult to grow and rarely survive in good condition.
Humidity:
The Violet Column Fernandezia needs the humidity of almost 80% for most of the year, and in the period of about 1 month dry season drops to 75%.
Substrate, growing media and repotting:
Fernandezia ionanthera are best grown on rootstocks. They can also be grown in pots which require a very loose, airy substrate.
Watering:
In the natural habitat, rainfall is very abundant throughout the year. The cultivated plants should be abundantly watered during active growth, but the roots must almost dry out before the next watering. In late autumn, when growth is slowed down, the amount of water can 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.
Rest period:
In winter, you can reduce the amount of water a bit, especially if the Fernandezia ionanthera are grown in the conditions of a short, dark day prevailing. However, they should never dry up completely. When the amount of water decreases, fertilization must be reduced or eliminated.
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