Lycaste macrophylla is native from Costa Rica and Panama to the south of Central America and further south through Colombia, Venezuela to Peru and Bolivia...
Lycaste macrophylla also called as The Large Leaf Lycaste, Lycaste filomenoi, Lycaste macrophylla subsp. desboisiana, Lycaste macrophylla subsp. filomenoi, Lycaste macrophylla subsp. neglecta, Lycaste macrophylla subsp. plana, Lycaste macrophylla var alba, Lycaste macrophylla var. desboisiana, Lycaste macrophylla var. measuresianum, Lycaste macrophylla var. plana, Lycaste neglecta, Lycaste plana, Maxillaria macrophylla, Maxillaria phyllomega, is a species of the genus Lycaste. This species was described by John Lindley in 1842.
IDENTIFY LYCASTE MACROPHYLLA
Lycaste macrophylla is native from Costa Rica and Panama to the south of Central America and further south through Colombia, Venezuela to Peru and Bolivia. In Panama, these plants were found in the province of Coclé north of El Valle de Antón at an altitude of 910 m, on the western slope at the Cerro Valle Chiquito peak at an altitude of 700-800 m, in the province of Veraguas on the wooded slopes of Cerro Tuti west of Santa Fé at an altitude of 760 -910 m and the Chiriquà province at an altitude of 1520 m. In Venezuela, they were found in the Federal District near Caracas at an altitude of 1700 m and in the state of Guatopo near Parque Nac. In Peru, they grow in tropical and mountain rainforests at altitudes from 400 to 2000 m. They mostly grow as terrestrial or rock plants, but they were also found growing as epiphytes. These plants were found in the Junin department near Huacapistana at an altitude of 1600 m.
It is a medium to large sized, cool to hot growing terrestrial species, which reaching 75 cm in height, with ovoid-oblong to broadly ellipsoid, complanate, sulcate, obtusely angled, up to 10 cm long and 3-6 cm wide pseudobulbs subtended by a few, imbricating leaf sheaths and after leaf fall has no apical teeth, carrying 2 to 3, non-deciduous, large elliptic, attenuate to channeled petiole, acuminate above, plicate, 40-75 cm long and 10-12 cm wide leaves.
The Large Leaf Lycaste blooms on a succession of erect, 5 at once, basal, to 17.4 cm long, inflorescence that has inflated papery bracts, arising on a newly maturing pseudobulb and flowering successively over several months occurring in the summer and fall with fragrant, waxy, color variable flowers held below the leaves. The flowers are up to 11 cm in diameter and come in a wide range of colors. The color of the outer whorls may vary from olive-green, through pale chocolate-brown, brown to very dark mahogany-brown or mahogany-red shades. The white petals of the inner whorl and the lip are often speckled pink, or red, or purple-red. The spine is white.
LYCASTE MACROPHYLLA 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:
Lycaste macrophylla needs a light level of 12000-23000 lux. The light should be filtered and dispersed, and the plants should not be exposed to the direct sunlight of the midday sun. Strong air movement should be ensured all the time.
Temperature:
It is a thermophilic plant. Throughout the year, the average day temperature is 26-28 ° C, and the average night temperature is 14-16 ° C, with a daily amplitude of 11-13 ° C.
Humidity:
The Large Leaf Lycaste needs the humidity of about 80% for most of the year.
Substrate, growing media and repotting:
Lycaste macrophylla are usually planted in pots or baskets filled with a loose, fast-draining substrate, which, however, is able to retain some of the moisture, but does not decompose quickly or unfold. Small pots are better than large ones, because in large pots the substrate stays moist for too long after watering. Then the roots do not dry up quickly, which can lead to their removal.
The plants grow better if moisture is permanently available and use 6 mm bark mixed with moss sphagnum or other humectants. Some recommend a small bark mixed with perlite, others prefer a mixture of equal volumes of moss-cut peat moss, peat and perlite peat. If the plants grow well, they produce a rapidly growing root system. They should be planted in pots allowing growths over a period of 2 years, because they do not respond well to root damage when dividing or repotting.
These plants can also be mounted on tree-trunks or cork, but because they should be provided with high humidity throughout the year, they must be watered at least once a day during the summer. In the case of such suspended plants, during the dry and hot periods it may be necessary to water several times a day. Repotting or dividing should be done before the substrate begins to decompose or when the plant grows out of its container. This usually happens after two years. However, this should be done only when new growths and new roots appear. This allows plants to acclimatize in a relatively short time and provides them with the least stress.
Watering:
Precipitation is abundant and very abundant throughout the year. The cultivated plants should be abundantly watered, especially during active growth. They must, however, have a substrate that drains water well, and around the roots it can not be soggy or spread, but the plant can not be allowed to dry completely.
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 balanced fertilizer throughout the year, but can also use fertilizer with increased nitrogen content from spring to mid summer, and then in the late summer and autumn, use a fertilizer with a higher content of phosphorus.
Rest period:
Watering in winter can be somewhat reduced, especially in the case of Lycaste macrophylla grown in dark places, in the conditions of a short day typical of higher latitudes. However, these plants should never be dried. If watering is limited, fertilization should also be reduced.
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