Masdevallia draconis is endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitat is the moist and fresh mountain forests, where she grows on trees at an altitude of 1100-1500 meters...
Masdevallia draconis also called as The Dragon-Like Masdevallia, Alaticaulia draconis, is a species of the genus Masdevallia. This species was described by Luer & Andreetta in 1988.
IDENTIFY MASDEVALLIA DRACONIS
Masdevallia draconis is endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitat is the moist and fresh mountain forests, where she grows on trees at an altitude of 1100-1500 meters.
It is a miniature sized, warm to cool growing epiphyte with stout, erect ramicauls enveloped basally by 2 to 3 tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, narrowly elliptical, subacute, narrowly cuneate below into the slender petiolate base leaf.
The Dragon-Like Masdevallia blooms in the winter and summer on a suberect to erect, stout, triquetrous, 26 cm long, congested, successively single flowered inflorescence arising from low on the ramicaul, with a bract at the base. The flowers are about 1 cm in diameter.
MASDEVALLIA DRACONIS 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:
Masdevallia draconis needs a light level of 9000 to 14000 lux; this orchid should never be exposed to direct sunlight. The recommended photoperiod is 12 hours.
Temperature:
The ideal daytime temperatures are 22-24 ° C (at most 26 °), the night temperatures of 15-16 ° C (at least 14 ° C).
Humidity:
If The Dragon-Like Masdevallia is grown bare-root, the moisture content should not fall below 75%. If it is placed in a vase, 60-65% is acceptable.
Substrate, growing media and repotting:
Masdevallia draconis can be grown bare-root. In the rest of the cases it is advisable its cultivation in pot, in the substrate consisting of coarse fiber sphagnum and perlite in the ratio 1: 1. In the period when night temperatures exceed 15 ° C, it is very suitable to place this species outdoors in a cool place as possible and protected from direct sunlight.
Watering:
This species is water abundantly and frequently throughout the year. The moment of watering is when the substrate has dried out well enough but is not yet completely dry.
Fertilizer:
This orchid is fertilized once a month, using 1/4 of the dose indicated on the bottle of a special liquid fertilizer for orchids. Before fertilizing the plant it is necessary to water it, to avoid the harmful contact of the fertilizer with the dry roots.
Rest period:
Masdevallia draconis does not undergo any period of rest. If it does not bloom, it means that there are no thermal changes between day and night, or the night temperatures are too high.
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