16 replies to this topic

[Andreas Eils]

Hi there,

despite all prophecies of Doom Masdevallias would fail in terraria I have to say mine are still fine!  

The smaller of my two now delights me with a small but very nice flower. It´s growing in the heated lowland terrarium bound on a piece of cork. Masdevallia nidifica originates from Costa Rica (but may be wider spread in Central America down to Peru as I´ve read) and prefers a little warmer conditions than many of its cousins in mountainous South America.

I don´t think that this season is the usual flowering time for this species and so it grew only a single flower. Nonetheless I´m quite happy.



The extended tips of the petals not included the flower´s only a little more than 1 cm in diametre.


All pictures are made in back light. So the colouration is usually a little different.

Wanna have a closer look?




I hope I´ll be able to present you the magnificent flower of Masdevallia ignea next spring.

Cheers!

Andreas

Edited by Andreas Eils, 18 November 2011 - 00:01 AM.

[amphirion]

very nice Andreas, after tearing off a chunk of my plant to give a friend of mine, i've noticed that my plant has begun to produce spikes as well. i hope they don't abort.

[Andreas Eils]

Ah, hello Amphirion!

Haha...this MUST have been a topic you´d be interested in. Your plant produces flower spikes as well? Well, perhaps I am wrong and autumn to winter in fact is the right time for its flower. I said that because in my lowland tank there are now only 24°C at daytime and 20°C in the night. The electricity bill would else kill me!

When I bought the film two weeks ago I thought 24 negatives would be enough...but then only two remained for the M. nidifica flower. :-( But you are welcome to post pics of your specimen as well. Yes, I cross my fingers your plant won´t abort its flower buds!

I do like your avatar, Amphirion! Nice abstract graphic of Heliamphora!


Kind regards

Andreas

[amphirion]

you're growing M. nidifica in lowland intermedate/lowland conditions, while i'm growing mine in highland intermediate/highland conditions, which suggests that the plant is surprisingly versatile and can tolerate a wide range of temperatures. while this is probably a generalization, i've noticed my masdevallia species bloom twice during the growing season: winter/spring and fall/winter. i will be posting pics of it once when the flowers bloom. thanks for the invite.
also, thanks for the compliments on the avatar...i designed it myself. recently developed a heliamphora fetish...

[dimitar]

Awesome, Andreas!   This remainds me of my Dracula orchids.

Regards,

Dimitar

P.S Do u keep this plant in summer also in lowland set up?

Edited by dimitar, 18 November 2011 - 20:37 PM.

[Defalotus]

Beautiful orchid!

[Daniel G]

Hehehe, side shot looks like it's sucked in a cricket.  

[TheInactiveMoth]

dimitar, on 18 November 2011 - 20:34 PM, said:

Awesome, Andreas!   This remainds me of my Dracula orchids.

It does look rather dracula-esque, doesn't it?

[Andreas Eils]

Daniel G, on 19 November 2011 - 07:49 AM, said:

Hehehe, side shot looks like it's sucked in a cricket.  

See, there are a lot of non-carnivorous plants which appear to be carnivorous though! Another example is the succulent Faucaria with its long marginal teeth. No need to exile me!  

Masdevallia nidifica grows all year in my lowland tank, yes. In summer the terrarium is heated to 28°C at daytime and 21°C minimum at night.

Interesting to know this species also does well in a cooler climate. I was wondering how low can I keep the temperatures inside this tank to avoid the electricity bill will ruin me but the plants to still feel well. Last year I adjusted the daytime max. at 23°C over winter and 19°C at night. N. bicalcarata looked like it would have hibernated and N. rafflesiana stopped growing pitchers.

Regards

Andreas


PS: Dimitar: What? Don´t drink water! Fish have sex in it???

Edited by Andreas Eils, 19 November 2011 - 14:27 PM.

[dimitar]

Under my conditions Masdevallia nidifica was developing very well and summer temps up to 40C, full shade. One of the easiest and temps tolerating plant that I like very much, however like all Pleurothallis anyway

Andreas Eils, on 19 November 2011 - 14:24 PM, said:

PS: Dimitar: What? Don´t drink water! Fish have sex in it???

Yeah, u have read correct the writen in my avatar, Andreas. There is a lot of meaning, don't u think lol?
Well, if u guess wich movie is the phrase from, I'll add u to my Christmas list for greeting card and you will get one.

Cheers,
Dimitar

[Andreas Eils]

dimitar, on 19 November 2011 - 15:56 PM, said:

Well, if u guess wich movie is the phrase from, I'll add u to my Christmas list for greeting card and you will get one.

Ummm...   ...that´s unfair! I´m not a moviegoer...   Hmmm...must do some research...




TRANSFORMERS???


Andreas

[dimitar]

Andreas Eils, on 19 November 2011 - 18:10 PM, said:

TRANSFORMERS???

Nope but good try. It is from the movie Indiana Jones part 3.
Anyway, u win the Christmas card and you will receive PM in December.

D

Edited by dimitar, 20 November 2011 - 19:18 PM.

[Daniel O.]

Not the biggest but a nice one.
I have not known that you grow orchids too.

Best regards,

Daniel

[Andreas Eils]

In fact I grow only three orchid species, Daniel!

Two Masdevalliae and a Pleione hybrid. I would appreciate to grow more - particularly Paphiopedilum species! But I´m afraid I´m too poor to afford them and where shall I still place them? I have totally run out of space!


Greetings

Andy

[amphirion]

from the time that i posted and till now, was the time needed for the flower to completely mature....very slow developer! although that could be attributed to the cold weather we've been getting. temps down to 6-8C at night.

better late than never ;)


looks like there's gonna be a fireworks display a month or two from now....

[Andreas Eils]

You lucky one, you have more than one flower!

I have mine transplanted ... onto a bigger piece of bark and moss. :-) It´s still growing well.



Thank you, Amphiron!

Andreas