Cyrtopodium saintlegerianum - Orchid Board

isurus79 · #1 03-18-2016, 09:42 PM

While I would rather post this in the Catasetinae section, the Cymbidium section explicitly lists Cyrtopodium as a genus to be posted here. Anyway, there doesn't seem to be much online regarding this species (or any Cyrtopodium other than punctatum), so I figured I'd post some growth pics.

I got this division from Stephen Moffitt about a year ago and grew it on my southeast facing balcony in full Texas sun (no shade, what-so-ever) from sunrise to about 3PM all summer long. Not only did it not burn, but it thrived under these conditions and had no problems with 105F in midday sun. I grew punctatum and polyphyllum in the same conditions and they thrived as well. These guys like it hot and bright! Its potted in a 10" clay pot with charcoal and bark and when the roots grow 3 or 4 more inches, I'll add about an inch of long fiber spag on top to help retain water. This is the only epiphytic Cyrtopodium I grow and the other Cyrtopodiums are potted in equal parts sand, peat moss, and cactus soil.

I brought my plants inside near the end of October, which is when dormancy set it. This plant hasn't seen a drop of water since then and I had it sitting on my SE facing window sill all winter (along with all my Cattleya nobilior, walkeriana and Catasetum denticulatum cross). Just for grins, I put an electronic thermometer/hygrometer on the window sill to see what the min/max temps were during this period. On sunny days, it regularly hit 99F and may have gone higher, though I don't think the device goes into triple digits. Again, no water for any of these plants during this time. All are doing spectacularly and are in the early stages of growth.

This Cyrt. started growing about a month or so ago and has taken off; however, the roots only recently started growing. I'm going to wait until the roots are a good 4" or so before I give it water. I'm thinking at least another month. You'll also notice that despite full sun (its already strong enough to burn me if I'm out too long), the plant is still stretching toward the light!! If you grow these guys under anything less than full light, you're doing it wrong. I'll update the pics as the plant progresses:

Cyrtopodium saintlegerianum new growth. Roots are just starting so I'm still withholding water. by Stephen Van Kampen-Lewis, on Flickr

katrina · #2 03-19-2016, 08:17 AM

Awesome!! I get excited about Cyrtopodium because we don't see them all that often. I'm growing graniticum and I also grow mine in full sun...it gets direct sun from around 10 am until the sun goes down, when it's outside. Inside, it sits under HO T5s. Kind of. It's so tall that I can't have it directly under the lights or they are too tall for the other plants so it sits between 2 banks at different heights...hoping it's getting enough.

I used to also have polyphyllum but given how large they get and how the 2 species are both yellow...I sent poly to live w/someone else. Kept graniticum because of the pics I've seen w/the orange/yellow combo rather than just yellow.

Has yours bloomed yet? How tall is your tallest growth? I've had mine since '09 or '10...picked up as a wee seedling...and it's grown well and last year's growth was more than 3' tall, but no blooms yet. I'm hoping this is it's year. Unlike previous years, it did not drop all it's leaves this past winter...holding a few of the top leaves...and the newest growth is now a little taller than yours. I know it blooms during the development of the newest growth but never having seen it and not much info on the web...I'm still not exactly sure what to expect.

Have you ever seen any of the pink ones for sale? I would figure out a way to make space for another one if I could find one of those. I especially like brandonianum.

isurus79 · #3 03-19-2016, 09:59 AM

I got my saintlegerianum as a division last year, so I don't think I'll get a spike in 2016. However, the newest growth is growing so quickly, I'm hoping to get a second one during the summer. I might get a spike on that one. It grew about 2' tall.

My punctatum is also a division, but the new growth is small enough that there is still time to get a spike. I'm not expecting one though. The polyphyllum might still be too young for a 2016 bloom.

I haven't seen the pink ones for sale, but if I do, I plan on snapping it up instantly!!! I've been looking high and low for some of the more unusual ones and Ecuagenera (coming to San Antonio in April) doesn't carry any (I'm purchasing Houlletia odoratissima instead!!!).

katrina · #4 03-19-2016, 03:18 PM

Mine has never produced a 2nd growth in the same season. I wish it would. So, at what point in the new growth does the spike usually show up? Mine is at least 6 or 7" tall now.

If you ever see the pink ones...and there is more than one...please let me know.

I hadn't heard of the Houlletia and had to look it up...VERY nice! Another tall one but really pretty. Ecuagenera was just at our meeting this past Monday and if I had known to look for one of those, I just might have brought it home.

u bada · #5 03-19-2016, 05:28 PM

Those are such amazing plants, if they can handle those conditions even I could grow one outside in full sun over here!

estación seca · #6 03-19-2016, 06:02 PM

Cyrtopodium andersonii (seedling) was the plant that caught my eye at Hausermann's and led to my recent order. When the order arrived, it was not there - sold out. (Likewise the Euchile mariae, which I really anticipated.)

The C. polyphyllum from Seattle Orchids November 2015 is pushing 5 new growths, though it's only in a 3.5" / 9cm pot. I wasn't aware some people withhold water until the roots are far along... would you care to elaborate?

isurus79 · #7 03-19-2016, 10:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by katrina

Mine has never produced a 2nd growth in the same season. I wish it would. So, at what point in the new growth does the spike usually show up? Mine is at least 6 or 7" tall now.

If you ever see the pink ones...and there is more than one...please let me know.

Katrina,
If I ever find one of the pink ones (or other hard to find species), I'll definitely let you know! Here's a good article showing punctatum spikes and new growths growing simultaneously: https://www.desertmuseum.org/program...ids_cyrpun.php

Quote:

Originally Posted by u bada

Those are such amazing plants, if they can handle those conditions even I could grow one outside in full sun over here!

I'm telling you, LA sun isn't as harsh as you think! Most of the epiphytic orchids we grow are from locales with much more intense sunlight due to low latitude ranges.

Quote:

Originally Posted by estación seca

The C. polyphyllum from Seattle Orchids November 2015 is pushing 5 new growths, though it's only in a 3.5" / 9cm pot. I wasn't aware some people withhold water until the roots are far along... would you care to elaborate?

These guys grow very similar to Catasetinae (and are also closely related) and many species have corresponding wet/dry cycles in their natural habitat. The main difference is that most Cyrtopodiums are terrestrial.

katrina · #8 03-20-2016, 07:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by isurus79

Katrina,
If I ever find one of the pink ones (or other hard to find species), I'll definitely let you know! Here's a good article showing punctatum spikes and new growths growing simultaneously: https://www.desertmuseum.org/program...ids_cyrpun.php

Oh damn! Looking at the pics...there is no way mine is going to bloom this year.

Reading through that link, it seems like I need to give it a longer dry time. I don't water a lot in the winter but I did still give it a sip from time to time and it sounds like that's a complete No-No. On top of that, it looks like I need to cut the water earlier than I have been reducing it. Thanks for the info and the pics...very helpful.

Cym Ladye · #9 03-20-2016, 11:18 AM

Although I respect your abiity to post Cyrtopodiums on this section of the OB, I will never understand for the hobbyist growing Cyms how any relationship can be made in either plant structure or culture of this genus to Cymbidiums. But then, I have discovered that most taxonomists do not have a clue as to what conditions us ordinary growers have in our own back yards.

Obviously there are some members out there successfully "frying" these plants under their conditions. I just hope any novice members of this Alliance do not think they can treat their Cyms in the same manner.

isurus79 · #10 03-20-2016, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by estación seca

Cyrtopodium punctatum is on the Florida endangered species list, but not on the Federal list. What is the legality of buying and selling this plant in Florida, and buying from Florida and shipping to other States?

I mean cultivated plants only, of course wild collecting will be illegal and wrong.

State listings rarely have any teeth to them, and generally only pertain to government development. For example, if you want to destroy habitat for a state listed species on private land, you are free to do so. However, Florida's transportation department wanted to build a highway, they would have to consider the impacts to the state listed species. I'm not sure what (if any) mitigation would need to be completed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by katrina

Oh damn! Looking at the pics...there is no way mine is going to bloom this year.

Reading through that link, it seems like I need to give it a longer dry time. I don't water a lot in the winter but I did still give it a sip from time to time and it sounds like that's a complete No-No. On top of that, it looks like I need to cut the water earlier than I have been reducing it. Thanks for the info and the pics...very helpful.

No problem! I'll probably post pics of my punctatum in another thread as well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cym Ladye

Obviously there are some members out there successfully "frying" these plants under their conditions. I just hope any novice members of this Alliance do not think they can treat their Cyms in the same manner.

Indeed! I'm glad you chimed in with this advice!