Polystachya valentina is found in eastern Zimbabwe. It grows as a lithophyte on sandstone and granite rocks at elevations of 1220-1830 meters.
Polystachya valentina also called as The Valentin Polystachya, is a species of the genus Polystachya. This species was described by Isobyl Florence la Croix & Phillip James Cribb in 1996.
IDENTIFY POLYSTACHYA VALENTINA ORCHID PLANT
Polystachya valentina is found in eastern Zimbabwe. It grows as a lithophyte on sandstone and granite rocks at elevations of 1220-1830 meters.
It is a small sized, up to 14 cm tall, cool growing lithophyte with conical to pear shaped, clustered, slightly ridged, single noded, 1-1.5 cm long, 1 cm in diameter pseudobulbs carrying 4 to 5, narrowly elliptic, dark green, 2.6-7 cm long, 0.2-1.2 cm wide leaves with a purple margin.
The Valentin Polystachya blooms on a pubescent, 7.5 to 12 cm long, 6 to 10 flowered inflorescence occuring in the summer with long-lasting, pubescent, flowers. The flowers are pale to deep pink or plum-colored, the lip white, the lateral lobes veined with purple, the callus with a brown spot.
POLYSTACHYA VALENTINA 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 valentina needs a light level of 25000-35000 lux. Light should be filtered or diffused, and the plants should not be exposed to direct midday sun. Strong air movement should be provided at all times.
Temperature:
Summer days average 23°C, and nights average 14°C, with a diurnal range of 9°C. Plants should thrive if grown in the cool, moist airflow from an evaporative cooler.
Humidity:
The Valentin Polystachya need the humidity of 80-85% in summer and early autumn, gradually dropping in autumn to average 60-65% in winter and early spring.
Substrate, growing media and repotting:
Polystachya valentina 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.
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:
Rainfall in the habitat is heavy in summer and early autumn, with averages falling quickly into a 5 to 6 months dry season that extends from late autumn into early spring. Plants should be watered heavily while actively growing, but water should be reduced in autumn after new growth has matured.
Fertilizer:
1/4-1/2 recommended strength, applied weekly when plants are actively growing. You can use a balanced fertilizer throughout the year; but also can 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 18-19°C, and nights average 7-8°C, with a diurnal range of 10-11°C. Water should be reduced for Polystachya valentina from late autumn into the following spring, but they should not 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 increased if pseudobulbs shrivel excessively. Fertilizer should be eliminated until new growth starts and heavier watering is resumed in spring.
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