Masdevallia mendozae is endemic to Ecuador. It is a mountain species, located at an altitude of 1800-2300 meters and grows on the branches of trees covered with moss. Hartman Eudaldo Mendoza discovered the plant lying by a litter-covered path in a remote forested region (elevation 2200 m) of the province of Zamora-Chinchipe, Ecuador, in 1979. Later, a large colony of plants was discovered in a nearby area by Dennis D’Alessandro.
Masdevallia mendozae also called as Mendoza's Masdevallia, is a species of the genus Masdevallia. This species was described by Carlyle August Luer in 1983. This species was named in honor of Hartman Eudaldo Mendoza of Vilcabamba, Ecuador.
IDENTIFY MASDEVALLIA MENDOZAE
Masdevallia mendozae is endemic to Ecuador. It is a mountain species, located at an altitude of 1800-2300 meters and grows on the branches of trees covered with moss. Hartman Eudaldo Mendoza discovered the plant lying by a litter-covered path in a remote forested region (elevation 2200 m) of the province of Zamora-Chinchipe, Ecuador, in 1979. Later, a large colony of plants was discovered in a nearby area by Dennis D’Alessandro.
It is a mini-miniature sized, cool to cold growing, epiphytic species with clustered, erect, slender, 1-3 cm long stems enveloped basally by 2 to 3 tubular sheaths carrying a single, apical, erect to spreading, oblanceolate, obtuse, petiolate, up to 8 cm long leaf.
Mendoza's Masdevallia blooms with a suberect, 4 to 6.5 cm long, solitary flowered inflorescence arising from low on the ramicaul with a bract near the base and a tubular floral bract that sometimes has a successive flower all held below the leaves occuring in the fall through spring. The yellow or orange flowers with an elongated shape are about 3 cm in size. It is similar to Masdevallia maxilimax (and less so to Masdevallia limax), and all have bright orange sepaline tubes produced in profusion. It can be distinguished by its sepaline tube without ventricose swelling, the wide aperture to the tube, its lining with fine white hairs, and its comparatively stubby sepaline tails. All three species are thought to be pollinated by moths or hummingbirds.
MASDEVALLIA MENDOZAE 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 mendozae needs a light level of 10000-15000 lux. The ideal photoperiod is 12-13 hours.
Temperature:
It is an intermediate-cold thermal requirements species. The ideal temperatures range from 21-23 ° C during the day to 11-13 ° C at night for the whole year.
Humidity:
Mendoza's Masdevallia needs the humidity of 80-85% for bare-root orchids. The potted specimens are also suitable for 65%.
Substrate, growing media and repotting:
It is possible to mount Masdevallia mendozae on a raft putting a little sphagnum under the roots. Otherwise it is better to choose the cultivation in pot, using as a substrate the mixture of sphagnum and perlite in the proportion of 1: 1. In the period when temperatures are between 10 ° C and 22 ° C, it is advisable to place it outdoors in a cool position, protected from direct sun and rainfall.
Watering:
This orchid gets water regularly throughout the year. The substrate must always remain moist but not wet.
Fertilizer:
The fertilizations are done every 4 weeks 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 between the fertilizer and the dry roots.
Rest period:
Masdevallia mendozae does not needs a period of rest. The given cultivation conditions should maintain throughout the year.
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