Ornithophora radicans
 

This orchid species from the genus Gomesa is endemic to eastern Brazil and north-eastern Argentina near the coast at elevations around 400 meters; this is a miniature warm to cool temps culture, best grown in moderate shade. (1) It is suggested to mount this plant on a slab of tree fern, but I inherited this in a clay pot of moss. This orchid species blooms in the summer through fall with tiny fragrant, showy, unusual, flowers with the smell of licorice. (2) This orchid plant is high maintenance, so I keep this on high humidity levels, evenly moist except for short dry rest period when the pseudobulb has matured. Evenly moist for me means: the plant receives regular watering to a depth of 18-inch-deep, do not let it dry out, but no drainage problem either. I feed this plant weekly weakly with Algoflash and stops fertilizer starting in the cold months from Thanksgiving to the early spring thaw. My plant is tiny on a 4 inches’ pot, but I have seen pictures of this plant as big as a bush with a magnificent spray of blooms like the baby’s breath on floral bouquets.

Reference
Stpiczyńska, M. & Davies, K. L. (2007). Elaiophore Structure and Oil Secretion in Flowers of Oncidium
trulliferum Lindl. and Ornithophora radicans (Rchb.f.) Garay & Pabst (Oncidiinae: Orchidaceae).
Oxford Journals Science & Mathematics Annals of Botany Volume 101, Issue 3 Pp. 375-384.
doi: 10.1093/aob/mcm297
Toscano de Brito AVL. (2001). Systematic review of the Ornithocephalus group (Oncidiinae;
Orchidaceae) with comments on Hofmeisterella. Lindleyana. 16(1) pp. 157-217. Accessed
October 24, 2016 from
https://orchid.unibas.ch/images/Acti...on_toscano.pdf

*the reference is for those who are interested in further research and information about this orchid species.


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I recently added this plant to my collection. Mine has a tag with the name as Sigmatostalix radicans (Ornithophora). It is blooming like crazy and the tiny flowers are amazing in their detail and size. I've set it into a wood basket. Nice little plant

---------- Post added at 08:49 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:40 PM ----------

Your plant is beautiful, I've grown to really like this one and was so pleased to have found it, I bought two. Thank you for the information and the great reference!

Gomesa radicans is the accepted name now, with both Ornithophora radicans and Sigmatostalix radicans recognized as synonyms, now superseded. I first knew it as Sigmatostalix and I'll always like that name. Its a fun easy little weed. Everyone should have one.

Thank you for your kind encouraging words

---------- Post added at 03:20 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:18 PM ----------

Thank you for the infos. I will stick to my tag at the moment, when I repot it then I will make a new tag with the new name.

---------- Post added at 03:21 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:20 PM ----------

Thank You, Cesar!

I like it! Nice plant :-)

I also have one of these.
I really like it.
I had hung it on the West side of the house under the eaves.
It was too hot and dry for it.
It began to fade away.

Here are pics of it when I first got it:
http://www.orchidboard.com/community...phora+radicans

Now, it is merely a shadow of its former self.
I almost lost it before moving it along with several others to the branches of my Geometry Tree.
It is now rebounding, and doing quite nicely.
It is almost constantly in bloom now.

Yours looks good and healthy. Give it room to grow and it will cover the medium.