Grobya amherstiae
Taxonomists have pushed Grobya from Cyrtopodiinae to Cymbidiinae until phylogenetic studies showed her relationship to Catasetinae. Kavanaru has made this clear here in october 2010.
Also a lot of facts written about Grobya on various websites is cribbed rubbish. I have seen plants of Grobya amherstiae in a nature reserve in the interior of Rio de Janeiro. Here they grow at elevations of 1000-1300 meters on vertical trunks of old trees more or less 2 meters above the ground, what makes it easy to take a picture. These forests are protected because they are essential for the water supply of the megacity. There is always more or less humidity in the moving air, sometimes clouds pull through, the light is dimmed, temperatures are intermediate with cooler nights. Grobya plants share this specific biological niche with a Promenea. A few meters further on in more open land we found a Zygopetalum,
To my knowlegde the habitat of Grobya stretches over the outback to Minas Gerais.
I purchased my plant in March. It got higher amounts of fertilizer and finished new growth in August. Then not much happened, I reduced watering and fertilizing. In October 2 spikes showed up.
Now one bulb has 2 spikes with 14 flowers on the left one and 16 flowers on the right. This is the maximum achievable number of flowers. I am very pleased of the sweet fragrance of honey they emit.
Wintertime will be critical as the plants can easily rot. I will keep it on the dry side.
If only I could find a second species of Grobya for sale.
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