Polystachya caespitifica subsp. latilabris is found in Kenya and northern Tanzania. It grows in montane and submontane forest at 1500-2300 meters in areas with high humidity.
Polystachya caespitifica subsp. latilabris also called as The Broad-Lipped Polystachya, Polystachya latilabris, is a subspecies of the genus Polystachya. This subspecies was described by Cribb & Podzorski in 1979.
IDENTIFY POLYSTACHYA CAESPITIFICA SUBSP. LATILABRIS ORCHID PLANT
Polystachya caespitifica subsp. latilabris is found in Kenya and northern Tanzania. It grows in montane and submontane forest at 1500-2300 meters in areas with high humidity. It may be easily distinguished from the other subspecies by its broader leaves and larger inflorescence.
It is a miniature sized, 14 cm tall, warm to cool growing epiphyte with fatter, cylindrical, clumping, up to 4 cm long pseudobulbs carrying a single, apical, flat strap-shaped, 6-10 cm long and 0.5-1.0 cm wide leaf.
The Broad-Lipped Polystachya blooms on a shorter than the leaf, 7.5 cm long, racemose, 6 flowered inflorescence. The flowers, which hold the lip in the uppermost are spreading to somewhat cupped. The sepals and petals are white or cream-colored. The lip is colored the same but is marked with a spot mauve toward the base and has a yellow callus. The column is also colored like the sepals and petals but has a bright mauve anther cap.
POLYSTACHYA CAESPITIFICA SUBSP. LATILABRIS ORCHID PLANT 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:
Polystachya caespitifica subsp. latilabris needs a light level of 20000-30000 lux. Light should be filtered or diffused, and plants should not be exposed to direct midday sun. Strong air movement should be provided at all times.
Temperature:
Summer days temperature at average 22-24°C, and nights average 11°C, with a diurnal range of 11-13°C. These plants should thrive if grown in the cool, moist air from an evaporative cooler.
Humidity:
The Broad-Lipped Polystachya need the humidity of 55-65% for about 2 months in late winter and early spring and again for 2-3 months in summer. Averages increase to 70-75% for the remainder of the year.
Substrate, growing media and repotting:
Polystachya caespitifica subsp. latilabris may be grown in relatively small pots or baskets filled with an open, fast-draining medium that retains some moisture after watering. The medium should dry out between waterings, however. The standard fir-bark mixes work well for many growers.
Plants may also be mounted tightly to a tree-fern slab. If mounted, however, high humidity must be maintained and the plants watered at least once daily in summer. Several waterings a day may be necessary for mounted plants during extremely hot, dry weather.
These orchids appear to grow better when allowed to form large clumps, so they should be divided as little as possible. Repotting, mounting, or dividing should be done only when new root growth is just starting. This allows the plant to become established in the shortest possible time with the least amount of stress.
Watering:
There are two wet/dry cycles during the year, with a dry season in winter and early spring followed by a fairly short, 2 to 3 months wet season in late spring and early summer. This is followed by a rather short somewhat drier season in summer and then by a 3 months wet season in autumn. Cultivated plant should be watered heavily while actively growing, but they must be able to dry rather quickly after watering.
Fertilizer:
1/4-1/2 recommended strength, applied weekly when plants are actively growing. You can use a balanced fertilizer throughout the year; but others use a high-nitrogen fertilizer from spring to midsummer, then switch to one high in phosphates in late summer and autumn.
Rest period:
Winter days temperature at average 19°C, and nights average 9-10°C, with a diurnal range of 9-10°C. Water should be reduced for Polystachya caespitifica subsp. latilabris during the winter dry season, but plants should not be allowed to remain completely without water for long periods. Occasional early morning mistings between infrequent light waterings should provide sufficient moisture in most growing areas. Water should be reduced for plants during the secondary dry season in summer, but plants should not be allowed to become as dry as during the more severe winter dry period. Fertilizer should be reduced or eliminated when water is reduced.
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