Oncidium ensatum - Sword Shaped Oncidium flowers are yellow, generally with olive brown patches around the callus and over the sepals and petals...
Oncidium ensatum, also called as Sword Shaped Oncidium, Latin American orchid, Florida dancinglady orchid, Cyrtopodium verrucosum, Oncidium cerebriferum, Oncidium confusum, Oncidium floridanum, is a species in the genus Oncidium. This species was described by John Lindley in 1842.
DESCRIPTION OF ONCIDIUM ENSATUM - SWORD SHAPED ONCIDIUM
Oncidium ensatum is native to Southern Florida to Cuba, Southern Mexico to Nortwestern Venezuela. It is found growing in rich humus of dry hammocks, on bases and knees of cypress trees in pockets of decaying debris in wet forests, on rocky slopes in Bahamas, Belize, Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Florida, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest, Nicaragua, Panamá, Venezuela at elevations below 1000 meters above sea level.
It is a large sized, hot to warm growing epiphyte or terrestrial which reaching up to 2.5 meters in height with compressed, longitudinally ribbed, pale green, 16 cm long pseudobulbs that are enveloped basally by imbricating sheaths that have foliar limbs. The leaves are 2, apical, erect, linear-ensiform, subcoriaceous, dorsally carinate, conduplicate below into the base, about 60 cm long.
Sword Shaped Oncidium blooms in the late winter and early spring from the axillary, to 2 meters long, arching, paniculate inflorescence that covered with several acute lanceolate bracts and arising on a mature pseudobulb. The flowers are 2.5 cm in diameter, yellow, generally with olive brown patches around the callus and over the sepals and petals. Sepals and petals are patent, with a short nail, with wavy edges; sepals are acute on the curved apex; lateral sepals are falcate and conspicuously carinate. Petals are acute. Lip is widely panduriform, trilobed; lateral lobes are inconspicuous, rounded; intermediate lobe is separated from the lateral lobes by a wide and long isthmus, emarginats, with an apicule on the sinus; fleshy callus with 5 elevated and elongated tubers and a bifurcated tuber on each side of the base. Column is short, fleshy, with two wide crenulate wings on either side of the apex.
ONCIDIUM ENSATUM - SWORD SHAPED ONCIDIUM CARE
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:
Oncidium ensatum needs a light level of 15000-25000 lux for mature plants, but less for young plants and when temperatures are high (70% shade cloth over summer and more light in winter). The leaves should be a medium green to slightly yellow- or red-tinged, never dark, glossy green. Leaves turn reddish blue if receiving too much light and leaf loss will occur if too sun damaged. Dark green leaves indicate insufficient light. A slight bronzing of the leaves and older bulbs indicates the light is good for flowering. Strong air movement should be provided all the time.
Temperature:
The average temperature of the summer day is 29-32 ° C, and the summer night is 18-22 ° C, which gives a daily difference of 9-12 ° C. The average temperature of the winter day is 29-32 ° C and 18 -20 ° C at night, giving a daily difference of 9-11 ° C.
Humidity:
Sword Shaped Oncidium prefers a humid environment, preferably between 40 and 80% humidity (ideal 65%). It is important to damp down the greenhouse floor or use misters to increase humidity in hot weather. Protect against hot dry wind. Pots can be placed on gravel filled trays containing water in summer to increase humidity but pots must not sit in water. Accordion pleating of leaves can be a symptom of insufficient water or humidity or irregular watering. However the pleating can also be genetic in some cases and unavoidable.
They need good air movement, particularly as humidity increases, and fans are advisable to prevent fungal diseases. Leaf fungal diseases and black spotting can be a problem for the plant.
Substrate, growing media and repotting:
Sword Shaped Oncidium are usually grow in pots filled with a loose, permeable substrate that allows the roots to dry quickly after watering. They should be grown in small bark (5-10mm) perlite potting mix (5:1) or in sphagnum moss and perlite (70:30). Some growers place a layer of sphagnum moss on the top of the pot to reduce evaporation and keep the roots cool. They can also be grown in perlite with a layer of gravel on the top. They should be grown in small squat pots that allow more frequent watering. The base of the new growth should be planted about 1.5cm into the bark but no deeper. Keep bark barely moist until new roots appear then resume normal watering.
Since the roots of these plants do not tolerate decaying substrate, they should be repotted every year to every 2 years before the substrate starts to decompose. This is best done when new roots are beginning to grow. This allows the plants to acclimate in a relatively short time and provides them with the least stress.
Watering:
Sword Shaped Oncidium like abundant water and require frequent watering in warmer months. When the new growths reach maturity in the fall, the amount of water should be reduced. They must never be allowed to dry out. Try to water in the mornings and not in the heat of the day or late afternoon as leaves may stay wet during the evening.
They are very sensitive to poor water quality which will inhibit root growth and cause leaf-tip burn. Pots should just begin to dry before watering. Misting daily in very hot weather is recommended. To reduce leaf spotting, avoid watering in the heat of the day or late afternoon in warmer months. Also avoid wetting the leaves and water the pot, not the leaves.
Fertilizer:
Oncidium ensatum require frequent application of 20-20-20 fertilizer diluted to one-quarter to onehalf of the recommended strength all year round but less in winter. Apply fertilizer every 2 weeks when growing actively but monthly when less active. Periodically, collect rain water and use it to rinse fertilizer salts that accumulate in the mix. They are not gross feeders and too much fertilizer will harm their roots and turn leaf tips brown. Use of high phosphorus or potassium fertilizers as plants approach flowering can increase flower count and substance.
Rest period:
Sword Shaped Oncidium need less water in the winter, especially if they grow under the conditions of a dark, short day that occurs in moderate latitudes. Occasional morning misting between occasional light waterings will generally provide sufficient moisture for the plants during a cool, dry winter period. However, the amount of water can be increased if the pseudobulbs start to wrinkle and the leaves hang down. You can let the plants dry between the next watering, but you must not let the plants stay dry for a long time. Fertilization should be limited or should be completely abandoned until spring, when stronger watering resumes.
COMMENTS