Pleurothallis luctuosa - Sorrowful bonnet orchid flowers are 2 cm in diameter, very variable in color, from dark red to green-yellowish with red...
Pleurothallis luctuosa also called as Sorrowful bonnet orchid, Acronia luctuosa, Humboltia luctuosa, is a species of the genus Pleurothallis. This species was described by Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach in 1876.
PLEUROTHALLIS LUCTUOSA - SORROWFUL BONNET ORCHID DESCRIPTION
Pleurothallis luctuosa is native to Costa Rica, Nicaragua. It is found growing on trees in very wet montane forests at elevations of 300 to 1150 meters above sea level.
It is a miniature, hot to cool growing epiphyte which reaching up to 20 cm in height with slender, erect, 4-8 cm long ramicauls that are enveloped basally by 2 to 3 basal, tubular sheaths. The single leaf is apical, erect, coriaceous, narrowly elliptical-ovate, acute, narrowly cuneate and sessile basally, dark green colored, 6-12 cm long.
Sorrowful bonnet orchid blooms in the spring from the erect to arching, loose, distichous, simultaneoulsy few to several flowered, 6 to 8 cm long, racemose inflorescence that arising from a brown colored, 5 cm long spathe with thin, tubular floral bracts. The flowers are 2 cm in diameter, very variable in color, from dark red to green-yellowish with red stripes. Dorsal sepal is concave, the upper half is caudate; lateral sepals are connate, with four nerves, two of them are dorsally carinate. Petals are fleshy, outside is verrucose. Lip is triangular, acute, with a fleshy nail, trilobed over the nail, with curved lobes; disc with a sulcate warty callus on the nail; the entire disc is verrucose. Column without a conspicuous foot and with a trilobed apex.
PLEUROTHALLIS LUCTUOSA - SORROWFUL BONNET ORCHID 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:
Pleurothallis luctuosa 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:
In summer, the average day temperature is 27-29 °C, and the average night temperature is 21-23 °C, with a daily amplitude of 6-8 ° C. In winter, the average day temperature is 25-26 °C, and the average night temperature is 18-20 °C, with a daily amplitude of 6-8 ° C.
Humidity:
Sorrowful bonnet orchid 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:
Pleurothallis luctuosa 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:
Sorrowful bonnet orchid 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:
Pleurothallis luctuosa 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, Sorrowful bonnet orchid 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:
Pleurothallis luctuosa 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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