Restrepia trichoglossa

[nhorchidguy]

So, today I tried my hand for the first time pollenating miniatures. So, finally, after much reading and a few attempts, I was finally able to get a grain of pollinia and did a sib cross of Restrepia trichoglossa. And I thought pollinia was small to begin with! So, straight pins are the way to go with harvesting...I can't imagine ow much smaller it is with Ancipitia.

[Mahon]

Nice work on pollinating... it takes a steady hand and a super thin needle... I tend to use straight pins as well for pollination of Pleurothallids.

As for Ancipitia, most of those ex-Pleurothallis are easier, the anther is larger... a genus I get worried about is Platystele, Lepanthopsis, and Lepanthes (and all Lepanthes segregated genera)... they are very small...

Often times with these Pleurothallids, they will accept their own pollinia, though this does not encourage diversity within the species, but it's cool to just try out.

If you aren't going to flask it, you can always spread seed in multiple places within your greenhouse (if you have one)... most of my spontaneously generated seedlings arise from either Sphagnum Moss baskets or on my mounts among other Pleurothallids... it's all fun! Good luck on your Restrepia!

-Pat

[nhorchidguy]

Really....you've had luck with just spreading the seed in various locations and on sphag?

I have been working on several flasking projects, so I was planning on flasking them (trying to find the correct medium was something I was trying to find info on...I tried flasking some Masd. Webberbauri and evidently they don't like epyphitic medium)...but the seredipity of spreading the seed around with some of my other plants seems like an interesting idea.

[Mahon]

I would have suggest to spread seed around only if you didn't have anything planned with it... I have great germination rates, that I have "weeds" all around and on my Epidendrum mounts, but your conditions may not be all that Pleurothallid friendly... the most pop up out of sphagnum moss, the rest like to pop up out of the algae on the ground...

I had Masd. weberbauerii, and it was a tough little Masdevallia to bloom, let alone grow... it eventually died. I now have a new on growing in a small round plastic basket, about 3" in diameter... the plant is doing better in a terrarium moss and fine medium, kinda like a terrestrial mix... so possibly, this species is semi-terrestrial, as a lithophyte... this was my first Pleurothallid species... =)

-Pat