Characteristics of masdevallia: native growing areas, distinctive features, tips for growing and reproduction, recommendations for pest control, species. Masdevallia (Masdevallia) is attributed by scientists to the genus of plants that are part of the large Orchid family (Orchidaceae). These orchids can be both lithophytes (grow on rock surfaces), epiphytes (settle as a parasite on the trunks and branches of trees), and occasionally they settle on the soil surface. At the moment, there are up to 300 species of Masdevally, whose native territories stretch from Mexican lands to Peru (Central and South America). Colombia and Ecuador boast the largest number (almost 3/4 of all species) of such orchids.
The flower bears its scientific name in honor of Dr. Done Jose de Masdevall, who was originally from Spain and served at that time at the court of the Spanish king Charles III, but he was also a well-known doctor and botanist at that time.
Masdevalia are orchids with a sympodial type of growth, that is, they grow horizontally, arranging their pseudobulbs and rhizome (a modified rhizome and stem) in this way. Plant sizes are small or medium. The rhizome is creeping and short, the root processes do not differ in thickness. The stems have erect outlines, shortened in size, covered with membranous sheaths of leaf plates. Stems are collected in compact groups and carry single leaves.
The leaf plate can grow both straight and bend at an angle, its surface is leathery or fleshy, the shape is oblong-lanceolate or linear in outline with a narrowing at the base.
When flowering, flowering stems are formed at the base of the pseudobulb, which end in a bud. Masdevallia has very peculiar zygomorphic flowers - that is, their structure is incorrect. In the corolla there are triangular sepals, which are confused with petals (petals). Usually the two lower (sepal) sepals are fused at the base (to a greater or lesser extent), and the free part remains widely spread. Their ends have tail-like processes that are short or very elongated in length. The size of the sepals depends on the variety, they are large, mainly with a linear-lanceolate shape.
A distinctive feature of the flower is that "tails" - shoots depart from the sepals. Their color is very diverse. The buds are located almost always singly, but occasionally they gather in racemose inflorescences. Inflorescences can grow both erect and drooping outlines. The lip can be sedentary or with a shortened marigold. It is sometimes elongated and resembles a tongue, or it is completely hidden in the narrow mouth of the bud. The lip is the only clearly distinguishable petal, since the other two are very small or completely reduced, so it is difficult to notice them.
Some orchid species have a delicate scent. The flowering process can generally take 3-4 weeks, but sometimes longer.
Many such orchids are usually grown both in rooms and greenhouses, and Masdevally varieties are widely represented in many botanical gardens. There are only two varieties in the genus that can be successfully grown in rooms; cool conditions of greenhouses are recommended for everyone else. However, by adhering to the following rules, you can admire the flowering of this unusual orchid.
How to grow masdevallia, home care?
- Lighting. You need bright lighting without direct sunlight. The pot is placed on the windowsills of east or west windows. On the south, Masdevallia needs to be shaded, and on the north, additional lighting should be carried out. But in any case, the duration of daylight hours should be 10-12 hours.
- Content temperature. Moderate to cool temperatures are required, and there is a difference in warmth between day and night. In the summer, they maintain 15-23 degrees during the daytime, and 10-18 units at night. In winter, they try to lower the thermometer to the range of 10-15 degrees.
- Air humidity when growing masdevallia, it directly depends on the temperature regime that is maintained in the room. If the heat indicators are low, then the humidity level can be left at the 50% mark, but if the temperature rises, then the humidity is increased to 80-90%. Naturally, in the conditions of an ordinary apartment, it is problematic to create such a thing, therefore it is recommended to use orchidariums. If there is none, then the humidity is increased using household steam generators or humidifiers. You can also spray the leaves frequently with a fine spray bottle using warm, soft water.
- Watering. The plant simply needs frequent and abundant watering. It is recommended to use soft water for this. Such a liquid can be obtained by filtering tap water, boiling it and settling it for several days. Then the resulting water is drained from the sediment and heated to a temperature of about 40 degrees. They moisten masdevallia in the same way as many representatives of orchids - a pot with a plant is immersed in a basin of water. There the flowerpot is left for 20-30 minutes so that the root system is properly soaked, and the substrate from the bark is also saturated with water. After that, the pot is taken out, the water is allowed to drain well and put back in its original place. Orchid connoisseurs often recommend arranging a hot shower with a water temperature of up to 45 degrees. If your tap water is very hard, then it is better to use prepared filtered or distilled water. Otherwise, you can rinse the orchid leaf rosette directly from the bathroom plumbing. Between moistening, complete drying of the roots cannot be allowed, since the roots of the masdevalia do not have velamen (a porous material that protects the roots from complete drying out). But a too wet state of the roots is not acceptable, as this will contribute to the early decay of the root system.
- Fertilizers for orchids are made every 3-4 weeks. Special preparations are used for orchids and their concentration is reduced by half or even three times that indicated by the manufacturer on the package. It is recommended to dilute the tool in water for irrigation and it can also be used for spraying leaf plates.
- Tips for replanting masdevallia. Changing the pot and soil in it is carried out only if necessary: if the container for the orchid has become very small or the substrate has become highly saline and signs of its decomposition are visible. It is recommended to select a time for this after the plant has faded. It is necessary to grow the orchid in special transparent plastic pots with holes along the entire surface, this will contribute to additional aeration of the root system, and the transparent material will not block sunlight. Or Masdevallia will feel good on the blocks. Pieces of bark (small) are placed in a new container, they must correspond to the size of the root system of the orchid: the thicker the root processes, the larger and thicker the fractions can be. Chopped sphagnum moss and fern roots are also mixed there. When the orchid is planted in a pot, then the surface of the soil can be covered with moss - this will prevent the substrate from quickly losing moisture. If a decision is made to grow Masdevallia on a block, then a large piece of bark will come in handy. It should be of such a size that all the roots of the orchid can be fixed to the surface. It is usually recommended to form a cushion of sphagnum moss under them so that the roots are less damaged when they are fixed. Fastening is carried out using a fishing line or wire. The entire root system of the plant is wrapped in the same moss so that it does not dry out.
Steps for self-propagation of Masdevallia orchid
If the plant is grown at home, then only one method is applicable to obtain a new instance of masdevallia - dividing an overgrown bush into parts. The best time for such activities is spring. It is only important to ensure that the plant to be divided has a large number of bulbs, as it is recommended that the delenka has at least three pseudobulbs.
The orchid needs to be removed from the pot, gently shake off the substrate from its roots. If it does not give in, then you can put the root system of Masdevallia in a basin of water and the soil will fall off by itself. After this, the division is performed with a sharpened garden tool, but a sharp knife is also suitable, which is sterilized before the operation. After the rhizome has been divided, it is recommended to sprinkle the cut sites with activated or charcoal crushed into powder - this contributes to disinfection. Then the delenki need to be planted in separate pots with a suitable substrate. At first, it is recommended to keep it in a slight shade while adaptation is in progress.
Pests and diseases affecting masdevallia
Although the plant is quite persistent, if the conditions of maintenance are violated, the orchid can be infested with aphids, mealybugs or various rot. If harmful insects are seen on the leaves, it is recommended to carry out treatment with insecticidal preparations. With putrefactive processes, the damaged parts are removed, and the plant is treated with a fungicide before planting.
Of the problems in growing this orchid, the following can be distinguished:
- leaves begin to fall off if the substrate is too waterlogged;
- the color of the leaf plates changes in the case when the level of illumination is very high;
- when the irrigation rate is exceeded or when tap water is used, the root system and / or stem rot begins in masdevallia;
- when the plant stops growing, the reason for this is elevated temperatures and general overheating;
- if the orchid refuses to bloom, then you should pay attention to the following factors: the pot with the plant moved; the orchid was transplanted prematurely; there is a possibility of overheating; Masdevallia lacks fresh air.
Interesting facts about masdevallia
For the first time, a flower from the genus Masdevallia was discovered in 1779 by botanists from Europe, who took part in an expedition to explore the forests of Peru and Chile.
A rather interesting "relative" of Masdevalia is the Dracula orchid, which is usually grown in rather cool conditions. This plant a little earlier included the above genus, but in 1987 it was decided to separate it. It is to its kind that the orchid owes its name, which comes from the Latin word "dracula", meaning "little dragon" or "little dragon".
Types of masdevallia
There are many varieties of this orchid, only the most popular of them are presented here.
- Masdevallia commodity (Masdevallia tovarensis). Among flower growers, this orchid is the most popular. The native area of distribution falls on the lands of Colombia and Venezuela, where tracts of moist forests are located. There it grows successfully among the branches of large trees or in the crevices of the bark. The outlines of the leaf plates take on an oval or lanceolate-oval shape, along the central vein there is a slight addition. When flowering, the flower-bearing stems reach 15 cm in length and exceed the height of the entire plant. They are crowned with racemose inflorescences, in which there are from 2 to 7 flowers. The appearance of their petals is translucent, and visible compacted veins appear on the surface. The structure of the flower is zygomorphic (that is, the orchid has an irregular flower structure), there are two lower sepals (sepals) of large sizes in it, almost completely fused together. Only the very tops remain free, which effectively end in elongated refined processes. Upper sepal (sepal), small in size, but its elongated "tail" in the form of a thread that sticks out vertically upwards and slightly bent back, usually covers the entire lower part of the flower. Each sepal, with its filamentous caudate, measures 3 cm. The flowers have a faint aroma.
- Masdevallia fire-rkasnaya (Masdevallia ignea) is considered to be the most beautiful representatives of this genus. Her native lands are in the forest mountains on the slopes of the Eastern Cordeliers in Colombia. The contours of the leaf plates can vary from elliptical-lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, in the lower part there is a narrow-wedge-shaped outline. In the process of flowering, the peduncle can stretch to a height of about 35 cm, and it significantly exceeds the leaf rosette of the orchid. On each such flowering stem, only one single bud opens. The size of the flower in the disclosure is large, approaching 8 cm, its petals are shaded with an orange-red color scheme. The flower has a pronounced irregular structure. The two lower sepals take on the outlines of asymmetrical wide ovals, which have a sharp point at the top, and they are also spliced almost to the middle. It is the color of the petals that most attracts the eye - it has the color of the flame: the background of the petals is bright red and two pairs of wide strokes of orange can be seen on it, originating at the base of the bud. The upper sepal (sepal) is a completely degenerated filamentous caudal process with a downward direction, and it lies almost completely on the flower, while covering the pharynx.
- Masdevallia glandular (Masdevallia grandulosa) is a miniature orchid. The plant reveres with its native territories the lands of Peru and Ecuador. The leaf plates have inverse lanceolate outlines, with an elongated base. The flower-bearing stems reach 4 cm in length, and they are almost half shorter than the length of the leaf. Namely, due to the fact that the flowering stem has a lodging character, this contributes to the removal of the resulting buds outside the rosette of leaves. A single flower blooms on each peduncle. The calyx of this variety has three axes of symmetry, and it was formed by three sepals, which have almost complete splicing. Their free teeth are characterized by a triangular shape and wide opening, as well as a characteristic ending with "tails" of threadlike outlines. These processes are much longer than the sepals themselves. Sepals form a bell-shaped tube, in which the lip of the orchid is almost completely hidden deeply. The color of the sepals on the outside casts a pale pinkish tint, yellow tones are visible in the depths of the tube. The tips of the “tails” are also painted yellow. The entire inner surface of the sepals is dotted with many tiny balls of a lilac shade, which are glands and from a distance strongly resemble a bright speck. It is to these pieces of iron that the variety owes its name.
This miniature orchid strikes not only with its beauty, but also with a fragrant aroma that resembles the smell of clove spice. It is the most fragrant of the whole Masdevalley genus.
Learn more about growing masdevallia in the following video:
