Psychopsis versteegiana is found in Peru, Surinam, Ecuador, and Bolivia. Its grow on tops of tall trees in wet montane forests at elevations of 450-1200 meters above sea level.
Psychopsis versteegiana also called as Versteeg's Psychopsis, Oncidium versteegianum, is a species of the genus Psychopsis. This species was described by Emil Lückel & Guido Jozef Braem in 1982.
IDENTIFY PSYCHOPSIS VERSTEEGIANA ORCHID PLANT
Psychopsis versteegiana is found in Peru, Surinam, Ecuador, and Bolivia. Its grow on tops of tall trees in wet montane forests at elevations of 450-1200 meters above sea level.
It is a medium sized, hot to warm growing, epiphytic species which reaching 19-35 cm tall with broadly ovate, complanate, sulcate, 4.0-5.5 cm long pseudobulbs subtended by several lanceolate, scarious sheaths with a single, apical, elliptic to oblong-elliptic, acute, 15-30 cm long leaf with a very short conduplicate petiole.
Versteeg's Psychopsis blooms from late winter and spring on a 65 to 110 cm long, flexuous, erect, basal, inflorescence subtended by a tubular scarious bract and arising on a mature pseudobulb and holding the 3 to 5 single successive flowers well above the leaf with lateral branches that can appear after the initial blooming which is 3 to 5 flowers borne single and opening in succession. The large, showy flowers are up to 11.4 cm long by 6 cm wide. The erect very narrow, petals and dorsal sepal are greenish yellow with dark reddish brown markings on the lower half and usually a solid reddish brown on the upper half, but sometimes the upper half of these segments is partly yellow along the margins. The wide-spreading, sickle-shaped lateral sepals are very different and are 5.0-5.6 cm long by 2.0-2.3 cm wide with lightly crisped-undulate margins. They are bright yellow or greenish yellow heavily marked with brownish orange transverse bars or blotches. The lip is bright yellow with a variable amount of brownish orange on the sidelobes and on the margin of the midlobe.
The flower spikes should not be cut when flowering is finished because after the terminal bud dies, lateral branches often develop, thereby producing another series of flowers.
PSYCHOPSIS VERSTEEGIANA 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:
Psychopsis versteegiana needs a light level of 18000-25000 lux. The plants may tolerate even brighter light if high humidity and strong air movement are provided.
Temperature:
Throughout the year, the temperature should be at days at average 26-28°C, and nights average 14-16°C, with a diurnal range of 11-13°C.
Humidity:
Versteeg's Psychopsis need the humidity level of 75-80 % year-round.
Substrate, growing media and repotting:
Psychopsis versteegiana may be mounted on tree-fern or cork slabs if humidity is high and plants are watered at least once daily in summer. Mounted plants may need several waterings a day during very hot, dry weather.
This orchid can also be grown in shallow pots or baskets using an open, fast draining medium. The medium may contains materials that holds some moisture, such as chopped sphagnum or perlite, but it must dry fairly rapidly after watering. Charcoal is often added to help hold the medium open and keep it from turning sour. Undersized pots just large enough to hold the roots should be used.
Repotting should be done only when necessary, and then only just as new root growth is starting. This is when the plant is best enable to become reestablished in the shortest possible time.
Watering:
The plants should be watered often, but the roots must dry rapidly after watering, and the medium should never get soggy or sour.
Fertilizer:
A balanced fertilizer, mixed at 1/4-1/2 recommended strength may be applied weekly while the plant is actively growing. You can use a lower-nitrogen, higher-phosphate fertilizer starting in late summer and autumn. This helps promote better blooming the next season and slows new growth allowing it to harden before winter.
Rest period:
Psychopsis versteegiana does not need a period of rest. Growing conditions should be maintained all year. Water may be reduced somewhat in winter, especially for plants growing in the dark, short-day conditions common in temperate latitudes, but they should not stay dry for long periods. If water is reduced, fertilizer should also be reduced until water is increased in spring.
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