Anguloa pseudobulbs

[2ljd]

Hi all,

I thought I'd ask those of you out there with experience in growing anguloas, lycastes or idas about some plants I recently purchased...I bought a couple of anguloas (clowesii & dubia) through Ebay and when I received them, most of the back bulbs were yellow. The back bulb with the new growth is green, but as you move progressively farther from the newest bulb, they all start getting yellow. The bulbs are still firm and most of them don't have any shriveling to speak of, but every photo I've seen of these plants show all the bulbs as green as can be. Since I received them this way, I know it's nothing I did, but I'd sure like to know what kind of conditions caused this to happen so as not to repeat them. Sorry, I don't have pics at the moment, but will try posting some soon. Any ideas or experience with this condition?

[stitz]

a wild guess -- your plant was exposed to considerable sunlight?

--Stitz--

[2ljd]

That's probably a pretty good explanation. Here's some photos that may help...

This is the anguloa dubia that shows more of the yellowing (bordering orange in the older back bulbs).

Here's the anguloa clowesii...smaller and less pronounced yellowing.

Any other thoughts?

[stitz]

I purchased a hybrid Lycaste last year which had yellow coloring very similar to what your pics show. The pseudobulb which eventually developed here in Maryland was a light green. The plant originated in Southern California.

I grow Anguloa clowesii, now for three years, in high light. The original source was Ontario Orchids in California. All pseudobulbs are a dark green.

I don't think that I'm providing any consistency here!

--Stitz--

[2ljd]

Originally Posted by stitz

I purchased a hybrid Lycaste last year which had yellow coloring very similar to what your pics show. The pseudobulb which eventually developed here in Maryland was a light green. The plant originated in Southern California.

I grow Anguloa clowesii, now for three years, in high light. The original source was Ontario Orchids in California. All pseudobulbs are a dark green.

I don't think that I'm providing any consistency here!

--Stitz--

Stitz,

Thanks for the info, it actually is helpful knowing that someone else has experienced or at least seen the same thing. I'll just have to monitor it and hope it doesn't continue with the newer bulbs.

[stitz]

2ljd,
I'm not certain that yellow tint in pseudobulbs is a characteristic that we want to avoid. I hope that our discussion here will elicit further comments!

C'mon people.....

--Stitz--

[isurus79]

My disclaimer for this comment is that I have never owned an Anguloa and I just recently got into Lycastes. That being said, I have seen that color of p-bulb in Dendrobiums and Catasetinae. With the Catasetinae, usually it is only one bulb that does this and gets soft. When this happens the yellow bulb is sacrificed and seems to drain and I think it is being used as food for the rest of the plant.

With multiple bulbs though (like I have on 2 of my Latouria Dends right now) it tends to be rot. Are the yellow bulbs softer than the green ones? If not, then my guess would be high light levels, though I don't understand why only the older bulbs would be affected. If your yellow bulbs are soft, then you need to unpot and perform immediate surgery to save the plant.

[Brooke]

I have the clowesii which I got last Sept. from Ecuagenera. All current pbulbs on it, including the most recent pbulb I've grown and is carrying foliage, are all varying degrees of yellow. I do grow mine in high light.

I have varying degrees of color from dark green to light green to yellow on my Lycaste and Ida and they are all grown in the same area, in high light.

Brooke

[2ljd]

Originally Posted by isurus79

My disclaimer for this comment is that I have never owned an Anguloa and I just recently got into Lycastes. That being said, I have seen that color of p-bulb in Dendrobiums and Catasetinae. With the Catasetinae, usually it is only one bulb that does this and gets soft. When this happens the yellow bulb is sacrificed and seems to drain and I think it is being used as food for the rest of the plant.

With multiple bulbs though (like I have on 2 of my Latouria Dends right now) it tends to be rot. Are the yellow bulbs softer than the green ones? If not, then my guess would be high light levels, though I don't understand why only the older bulbs would be affected. If your yellow bulbs are soft, then you need to unpot and perform immediate surgery to save the plant.

Thanks for the info Steve. All of the bulbs are actually pretty firm, save for the smallest orange colored bulb. I guess from everyone's experience, it could have been the light levels that the plants received prior to me acquiring them. I'll keep monitoring them.

Thanks to everyone who chimed in on the discussion!