Laelia eyermaniana is found in Mexico. It is found only west coast north of Oaxaca state into Nayarit. It grow on oaks, growing in the same tree with Laelia albida and Laelia speciosa at altitudes between 1050 and 2500 meters above sea level.
Laelia eyermaniana also called as Eyerman's Laelia, is a species of the genus Laelia. This is a natural hybrid between Laelia speciosa and Laelia albida. This species was described by Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach in 1888.
IDENTIFY LAELIA EYERMANIANA ORCHID PLANT
Laelia eyermaniana is known only from Mexico. It is found from the Mexican states of Nayarit, Michoacán, and Jalisco, Sonora, Chihuahua, Durango, Guanajuato, and Querétaro. It grow on oaks, growing in the same tree with Laelia albida and Laelia speciosa at altitudes between 1050 and 2500 meters above sea level.
It is a small sized, cool growing epiphyte or lithophyte with conical-ovoid to subglobose, 5.6 cm long, 2.5 cm wide pseudobulbs enveloped basally in youth by imbricating, scarious sheaths with 2 to 3 apical, lanceolate-elliptic, or oblong-lanceolate, acute to subacute, basally clasping, to 13.5 cm long, 2.6 cm wide leaves.
Eyerman's Laelia blooms only in summer and early fall on a apical, 30 to 100 cm long, erect-arcuate raceme arising on a mature pseudobulb with 3 to 12 showy, fragrant flowers. The flowers are 9 cm in diameter. The flowers open successively so that although basal flower may have wilted distal buds have yet to open.
LAELIA EYERMANIANA 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:
Laelia eyermaniana like good light (30000-40000 lux) with about 30-50% shade in summer but no direct sun. They require high light intensity during their dormant period in winter. They like direct morning sun but avoid afternoon light and deep shade.
Temperature:
Eyerman's Laelia experience a typical temperature range of 2°C to 28°C in their native environments although extremes of -7 to 38°C are possible. Winter daytime temperatures of about 20°C and night temperatures of 3-5°C are typical during their dry resting period.
Humidity:
This orchid species need good air movement year round. It require moderate to high humidity (50-70%) in summer but low humidity in winter.
Substrate, growing media and repotting:
Laelia eyermaniana grows well potted in a fir bark substrate. It could be grown on a mount of wood, cork, or tree fern and allowed to ramble freely over the substrate, but the grower would need to give close attention to the plant's watering/fertilizing schedule to accommodate to the plant's.
If on cork, it will be almost impossible to over-water it. A wood mounting may retain some of the moisture and allow for less frequent watering while a tree fern mount will tend to retain slightly more moisture than the wood as well as allowing roots to possibly bore into the substrate and be provided with nutrition as the tree fern mount is slowly broken down.
If cultivated as a lithophyte, a substrate of porous limestone overlaid with a culture of live sphagnum moss is suggested. However, if cultivated as a lithophyte, an increase in both the supply and frequency of fresh water will be necessary with particular attention to avoiding excessively dry conditions.
This orchid don’t like being disturbed, when they outgrow the pot, simply place the plant and its pot into a slightly larger pot (over pot) allowing the roots to fill the space between the two pots. Repotting may be necessary however when the bark becomes decomposed.
Watering:
In the natural habitat, the rains wet the plant's substrate and then the plant is allowed to dry out, but in a greenhouse environment, how often one should water is best determined by frequent and close inspection of the roots. At its optimum length, the green root tip on the plant will be slightly less than a centimeter in length. If one continues to water, the white velamen will overtake the tip so that the green tip length shortens. In other words, the root has enough water so its growth slows. Obviously then, the optimum frequency is to space watering so the green root tips remain at or near their maximum lengths.
Fertilizer:
Liquid fertilizers should be applied regularly during the growing season but not in winter. Some growers recommend a low nitrogen but high phosphorus fertilizer in late summer and autumn. Liquid seaweed fertilizer can also be applied.
Rest period:
Laelia eyermaniana have a long 7- 8 months dry rest period during the cooler months. Cool nights and bright light is very important during this period. Fertilization should be limited or should be completely abandoned until spring, when stronger watering resumes. In the natural habitat, the light is strongest in the dry winter period, so the plants grown need as much winter light as possible.
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