Acianthera erinacea - Spined Acianthera flowers held way above the leaves, golden ochre in colored, with an ochre-brown lip...
Acianthera erinacea also called as Spined Acianthera, Humboltia erinacea, Kraenzlinella erinacea, Pleurothallis erinacea, Kraenzlinella muricata, Kraenzlinella rufescens, Kraenzlinella sororia, Pleurothallis diuturna, Pleurothallis muricata, Pleurothallis muricata, Pleurothallis rufescens, Pleurothallis sororia, is a species of the genus Acianthera. This species was described by Alfonso Doucette in 2016.
ACIANTHERA ERINACEA - SPINED ACIANTHERA DESCRIPTION
Acianthera erinacea is native to Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest, Panamá, Peru, Venezuela. It is found growing in evergreen cloud forests and montane rain forests at elevations of 900 to 2000 meters above sea level.
It is a miniature to small sized, cool to warm growing epiphyte which reaching up to 30 cm in height with short, about 3 cm long, unifoliate ramicaul. The single leaf is apical, narrowly elliptic-lanceolate, blunt, thickly coriaceous, narrowing below into the conduplicate, petiolate base, about 12 cm long.
Spined Acianthera blooms in winter and spring from the erect, about 20 cm long include the 17 cm long peduncle, loosely may flowered, racemose, fractifex inflorescence. The floral bract is acuminate, 1.3 cm long. The flowers held way above the leaves, golden ochre in colored, with an ochre-brown lip. Sepals with five nerves, fleshy apex, 1.2 cm.; dorsal sepal is concave, 4.6 mm. wide; lateral sepals are 4 mm. wide, carinae. Petals are thin, acute, have two papillose auricles at the base. Lip is obtuse, fleshy, 9 mm., including the nail; disc is finely papillose, sulcate over the middle. Column is 6 mm., with a 3 mm. foot and, tridentate apex.
ACIANTHERA ERINACEA - SPINED ACIANTHERA 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:
Acianthera erinacea needs a light level of 12000-18000 lux. The light should be filtered or dispersed, and the plants should not be exposed to direct sunlight in the afternoon hours. Strong air movement should be ensured all the time.
Temperature:
It is a cool to warm growing species. In summer the average day temperature is 20-23 ° C, the average night 13-16 ° C, which gives a daily difference of 8-10 ° C. In winter, the average day temperature is 18-21 ° C, night 10-13 ° C, with a daily amplitude of 7-10 ° C.
Humidity:
Spined Acianthera needs the humidity of probably around 80% throughout the year. Too dry air has a negative effect on the development of the plant: its growth is inhibited, and the leaves begin to turn yellow and dry out. The higher temperature, the higher the humidity should be, and the higher the humidity, the more often and longer it is necessary to ventilate the room where the plants are contained, otherwise the probability of rotting and various kinds of fungal diseases. Good air movement is essential while the plants are in leaf and growing.
Substrate, growing media:
Acianthera erinacea can be grown in small pots or baskets or mounted on pieces of tree ferns with peat moss pillows around the roots, with high humidity ensured and daily watering in the summer, during the dry and hot periods it may be necessary to water several times a day.
These plants are also grown in pots or baskets using a very loose, fast-drying substrate, such as fir bark or chopped tree fern fibers. Also, the materials that release the substrate but often retain a portion of the moisture, e.g. perlite, are often added to such a mixture. The addition of charcoal also improves the permeability of the substrate, and also protects against acidification.
Repotting:
Spined Acianthera react badly to any manipulations, so they should be repotted or divided only when absolutely necessary. However, because these plants do not tolerate also the decaying soil around the roots, they should be repotted immediately when the substrate begins to decompose. Therefore, it is recommended to choose a substrate such as tree fern fibers, because these are slowly decomposed. If repotting is done at the time when new roots begin to appear, the plant will be accepted and rooted in the shortest possible time. If the plant was divided, it may take up to two years to recover.
Watering:
Acianthera erinacea should be watered abundantly during the period of intensive growth from the summer to the beginning of winter, but excellent drainage should be ensured so that the ground around the roots is never desiccated or soggy.
Fertilizer:
During the active growth, Spined Acianthera should be fertilized every week 1/4-1/2 of the recommended dose of fertilizer for orchids. From spring to mid-summer, you can use fertilizer enriched with nitrogen, then switching to phosphorus-enriched fertilizer in late summer and autumn.
Rest period:
Acianthera erinacea need less water in the winter, especially if they grow under the conditions of a dark, short day that occurs in moderate latitudes. However, these plants should never be completely dried up. Fertilization should be reduced or eliminated until new growths appear and a more abundant spring watering begins.
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