Distinctive features of medinilla, etymology of the name, recommendations for indoor growing, steps for independent reproduction, pests and diseases, species. Medinilla (Medinilla) belongs to the genus of plants with a long life cycle, which are part of the Melastomataceae family. This representative of the flora is quite rare and its varieties can be found in limited quantities on the lands of Africa and Madagascar, as well as on the islands of the Malay Archipelago, where the topical climate prevails. Scientists today have up to 400 types of medinilla. They are distinguished by the ability to settle for life on the branches or trunks of trees (lead an epiphytic lifestyle) or be semi-epiphytic, when at the beginning of its growth madinilla “lives” on a tree trunk, but over time its roots reach the soil and take root in it. Occasionally they are terrestrial species.
The plant got its name thanks to the governor of the Spanish colony Jose de Medinilla and Pmineda, who contributed to its development. For the first time, medinilla came to the territory of European countries only in 1850 and at that time it was possible to admire the flowering of this exotic in the garden of Mr. Veich.
The plant is an evergreen shrub or small tree, which under natural growing conditions can reach up to two meters in height, but usually their parameters fluctuate within 1-1, 5 meters. The branches can be either rounded or four-sided. There are varieties in which the surface of the branches is bare, but there are also those that are covered with dense bristly pubescence. Shoots grow erect, occasionally taking a liana-like shape.
The leaf plates are whole-edged or with a jagged edge, their shape is ovoid-elliptical or lanceolate-ovate. The color is dark green. Leaves can be opposite or sessile. Both surfaces of the leaf are smooth, on the top 7 veins are clearly visible, it is leathery. Parameters in length can reach a maximum of 35 cm with a width of 20 cm.
The advantage of medinilla is its flowers, collected in long racemose or complex umbellate few-flowered inflorescences. The location of the inflorescences is both final and axillary, they can be both upright and drooping. The length of the inflorescence reaches 30 cm. It has 4-6 buds, which grow on pedicels, with small, rapidly flying around bracts. The color of the bracts is pale pink. Their shape resembles a boat, the size is close to 10 cm in length.
Hepantium (this formation, resulting from the accretion of mainly the lower part of the perianth and staminate filaments and outwardly it resembles a concave receptacle) has bell-shaped, tubular, funnel-shaped or cup-shaped outlines. The lobes of the calyx are almost invisible, but if they are visible, then they are pointed at the apex. Petals are ovoid or oblong, often asymmetric. The color of the petals is predominantly white, pinkish or rose-red. The number of stamens is almost twice the number of petals. The anthers are linear, lanceolate or ovoid. The flowering process can occur both in spring and autumn.
When fruiting, a berry ripens, which has a spherical, oval or jug-shaped shape. The seeds are numerous, obovate, ovate or wedge-shaped. Their surface is usually smooth.
Medinilla attracts flower growers, both for the beauty of the leaves and for the unique outlines of flowers.
Caring for medinilla at home: watering, fertilizing
- Lighting and choosing a place for the pot. This tropical plant prefers bright lighting, but without direct sunlight, which can burn the foliage. But if the level of illumination is low, then flowering can not wait and may begin to drop flowers or unopened buds. An eastern or western location will do. If there is little light, use phytolamp illumination.
- Content temperature epiphyte should be high, since medinilla is a lover of heat - a tropical plant. Thermometer readings should not go beyond 20-25 degrees. When the plant begins a dormant period in winter, the thermometer can be lowered to around 16 units. Medinilla should not be placed next to operating heaters or central heating radiators. It is important that there are no temperature drops and drafts during cultivation.
- Air humidity. Since the epiphyte is a "resident" of a tropical climate with very high humidity, then for it in indoor growing conditions, indicators of about 75% are maintained. It is recommended to spray the deciduous mass several times a day with warm water, devoid of lime suspensions. You just need to make sure that drops of water do not fall on the flower petals. You can also raise the humidity level in other ways: put household steam generators or humidifiers next to the pot, or install the flowerpot itself in a pallet where wet sand or expanded clay is poured. If nothing is done, then from the dry air medinilla loses its decorative appearance and is affected by pests.
- Watering. This epiphytic plant requires regular and moderate moisture during growth and flowering. The substrate should never dry out completely. As soon as the top layer of soil crumbles in the fingers, and it has dried out by 2-3 cm, then watering is necessary for medinilla. During the autumn-winter months, the moisture content is somewhat reduced, since the plant is at rest, but the conditions are the same. In January-February, irrigation decreases even more. Well-settled water at room temperature or slightly higher is used.
- Fertilizers medinilla. When spring comes and the epiphyte begins to develop actively, it is recommended to apply top dressing twice a month, using universal preparations intended for indoor plants, and during the flowering period, fertilizers for decorative flowering plants can be applied once every 10 days. In the summer, some growers feed medinilla with organic means, but no more than three times.
- Transfer and selection of soil. When the epiphyte is still young, the pot and soil should be changed annually, but for adult specimens, such operations are performed only once every 2-3 years. Before the plant begins to actively develop and before the budding begins, a transplant can be carried out. The capacity is purchased 5 cm larger than the old one. A layer of drainage material is laid on the bottom to prevent moisture stagnation. The soil should be loose, fertile and slightly acidic. It is advisable to transplant by the transshipment method, when the earthen lump is not destroyed, due to the fact that the roots of the plant are very fragile. After transplanting, it is recommended to carry out hygienic pruning of the plant and shaping the crown. The substrate is made up of leafy soil, sod soil, peat, river sand and humus, taken in a ratio of 2: 2: 1: 1: 1. You can also purchase ready-made soil mixture for epiphytes.
- Trimming and general care of the medinilla. Since the leaves are quite large, over time a layer of dust accumulates on them, which must be removed. This is done with a damp soft sponge or cloth. You can also bathe medinilla under streams of a warm shower, but it is recommended to cover the soil in the pot with plastic wrap and try to prevent water drops from falling on the flowers.
After the flowering process ends, the branches are pruned.
Features of independent reproduction of medinilla
To get a new bush with beautiful inflorescences, it is recommended to sow seeds or cuttings.
Seed material is used both home and purchased. In late winter or early spring (as soon as ripening ends), the seeds are placed in a flat bowl filled with a substrate of sand and turf (or leafy soil and sand) taken in equal parts. The container is placed in a warm place and you can wrap the pot with plastic wrap or put it under glass to speed up the germination process. We must not forget to moisten the soil, not allowing the seeds to dry out. When the seedlings grow up, they dive into pots with a diameter of 7 cm, the composition of the substrate changes to a part of leafy soil and half of a part of river sand. In the period from May to June, young seedlings are transferred into large containers with soil suitable for adult specimens. Care as they are for adult medinilla.
If grafting is carried out, then it is performed from mid-winter to May. For blanks, cuttings with three buds are selected. The twigs are planted in the substrate, and a cut plastic bottle or glass jar is placed on top. The rooting temperature is maintained within the range of 25-30 degrees. It is important to periodically ventilate for 15–20 minutes to remove condensation and to moisten the soil if necessary. The time for root formation takes about 5 weeks. The seedlings are then transferred (transplanting without destroying the earthy coma) into prepared pots with a substrate to suitable adult plants.
Pests, diseases and other problems when growing medinilla
If the conditions of detention are violated, then the plant can be affected by spider mites or mealybugs. In the first case, a thin cobweb forms on the leaves and in internodes, the leaves eventually become deformed and fly around. The second pest manifests itself in the form of whitish lumps resembling cotton wool, attached to the back of the leaf and in internodes. Immediate insecticidal treatment is recommended. If necessary, the procedure is repeated 2-3 times with a week break, until the complete destruction of insects and their waste products.
Also, violations of care are accompanied by the following troubles occurring with medinilla:
- In the case of low humidity, foliage shrinks and curls.
- If you often change the location of the pot with a plant, then foliage may begin to drop.
- When the bush refuses to bloom, then this process is affected by insufficient light level, low humidity or low temperature.
- The appearance of a brown spot on the foliage indicates a fungal disease caused by the Botrix fungi. If there is such a problem, all affected parts of the medinilla should be removed and treated with fungicides.
- The discharge of young foliage and peduncles provokes a draft or a decrease in temperature, as well as unregulated watering.
Facts to note about medinill
There are botanical scientists who propose to include the genus Medinalla in the genus Pseudodissochaeta, which has been known since 1969.
Since the plant is distinguished by increased requirements for care, it is recommended to try cultivating less luxurious varieties, but more unassuming ones. This is a variety of Javanese medinilla (Medinilla javanensis). While the plant is still young, it does not differ much from its highly decorative "relatives", but Javanese medinilla has a high growth rate and already in the 3rd year from planting it can delight with flowering. At the same time, the gorgeous medinilla variety begins to bloom only in the 5th year after planting. Moreover, the flowers of the Javanese variety also gather in large inflorescences and have a delicate pink color of the petals, but there are no bright stipules.
Types of medinilla
- Medinilla venosa (Blume). The native territories of growth are in the lands of Malaysia. The plant takes on a shrub form and grows as a semi-epiphyte (that is, from the very beginning it settles on the branches or trunks of trees, but then, when they reach the ground, it plunges its roots into it). Shoots are thin, round in section, their surface is densely covered with pubescence, which is so dense that it resembles a woolen cover. The leaf plates have elongated elliptical outlines, the apex is pointed. Width parameters are 5–9 cm with a length of about 9–20 cm. 7 veins are clearly visible on the leaf surface. The petiole with which the leaf is attached to the shoot is shortened. When flowering, small buds are formed, which are collected in a small-flowered inflorescence in the shape of an umbrella. The color of the petals is beige.
- Medinilla magnifica often found under the name Medinilla the beautiful. It grows in tropical forests located on the islands of the Philippines and Java. A plant can "climb" for its life to a height of about half a kilometer above sea level. It has a shrubby form of growth and can be measured in height by 1–1, 5 meters. Shoots are thickened and completely covered with "woolen" pubescence, which grows most densely in internodes, four-sided. The leaf plates are large in size, acquiring ovoid-oblong outlines. The length of the leaf can reach up to 35 cm, while the width does not exceed 15 cm. The color of the foliage is dark green, the surface is leathery. At the base, the leaf plate is fused with the stem. When flowering, the buds gather in multi-flowered branched inflorescences, hanging to the ground, in the form of brushes. Their length is measured 30 cm. Petals of flowers of pinkish-red color. There are large bracts, which are cast in a delicate whitish-pinkish tone. The variety is highly valued by flower growers for its high decorative qualities. And not only flowers are considered the dignity of medinilla, but the leaves are also an ornament. She is also loved for her ability to easily adapt both in pot life and in greenhouse conditions.
- Medinilla cumingii Naudin. Native lands fall on the territory of the Philippine Islands, where this plant prefers to settle in tropical rainforests as an epiphyte on the branches and trunks of trees. It takes on a shrub shape. The leaves have oblong elliptical shapes, large in size. In length, they reach 30 cm with a width not exceeding 20 cm. 7 veins are clearly visible on the surface of the leaf plate. The petiole is absent, the leaf seems to "sit" on the branch. When blooming, large flowers are collected in racemose erect inflorescences. The width of the flower in opening is 5 cm, they have no bracts, the color of the petals is pink. The flowering process takes place from the beginning to the end of spring.
- Medinilla himalayana grows in dense forests or valleys, "climbing" to a height of 1900-2100 meters, in Bhutan in India and in the Yunnan province in China. It is a shrub epiphyte with strong branching. Branches are 4-sided, in adult form with a bare surface. The bark on them is wrinkled, corky. The leaf blade is lanceolate-ovate to elliptically ovoid. It can have parameters 6-16x2, 2-7 cm. The surface is hard-paper, bare on both sides. The process of flowering and fruiting occurs in the month of September. Terminal inflorescences, collected in the form of a complex umbrella. The flowers have 5 lobes, the petals have diamond-ovate outlines, the approximate size is 1, 4–0, 6 cm. There are four pairs of stamens in the corolla, 4 m short and 4 long. Anthers have a linear-lanceolate shape, the surface is tuberous. When fruiting, a berry appears with parameters 7-10x5-9 cm. The seeds are obovate.
You will learn more about medinill from the following video:
