Mystacidium gracile and Microcoelia bulbocalcarata

[mremensnyder]

These are my newest "leafless" acquisitions (see photo, just misted with rain water, in vase with grow light hanging nearby), both from cooler higher elevation tropical forests of Central/Southern Africa and Madagascar. As such, they will be spending much of the summer in the 70-72F house, in a 3 foot tall round vase with vertical sides. I have done well so far with Microcoelia bulbocalcarata for the last couple weeks by keeping the planted suspended above water about half way between the top and bottom of the vase. It is supposed to do well with lower light levels, so that is a plus for ease of indoor culture. I have been moving it outside when it rains and leaving it there overnight following a day where it rains (thus temps are in the 75-79F range). I have even left it out some when humidity is high and temps have been as high as 88F. It has not gone into decline (so far) like the one I bought in April 2014 and left outside in a vase in the hot (too hot) and moderately humid (not humid enough) conditions.

Thus the focus to growing this species successfully will be high humidity at all times, temps as low as I can keep them (no problem from Nov-Mar), low light and rain/distilled water with very dilute fertilizer 1-2 times per week.

Today, I received my newest "leafless" species (see photo with leaves, photo features both plants actually), Mystacidium gracile $$$, which will reside in the vase with the M. bulbocalcarata, as the grower advised me it would not do well in hot, tropical Florida summers. The plant looks extremely healthy, including the leaves, and I will NOT cut them off to make it leafless, I promise

The other leafless are doing well outside in the tropical air mass with the plentiful rain and high night AND daytime humidity we have had lately. I just love how they are virtually carefree in these conditions.

I replaced the touchy Chiloschista exuperei that was fried by too much sun, even under screen. So far so good. Chiloschista does not seem to me to be much more forgiving than other leafless orchids in general.

[WhiteRabbit]

very cool! Let us know how they do!

[No-Pro-mwa]

Good luck with them.

[mremensnyder]

Thank you for the encouraging words Shannon and Sonya! They have spent the last 2 days outside as it has been in the 70s most of the time with very high day and night humidity and occasional rainfall. All the leafless orchids should love these wet conditions and I expect to see them all put out new growth and progress especially well if it keeps up. Now if my Dendrophylax funalis would just do...something. It is clearly quite alive, but has responded in no way to months of nearly ideal conditions for growth. Just how much light does this species want? Should I situate it in a special way to get substantially more light than all the other leafless?