Distinctive features and places of growth of curculigo, tips for cultivation, recommendations for breeding, diseases and pests, facts for the curious, species. Curculogo is a flowering plant belonging to the Hypoxidaceae family, which is also placed in the order of the Asparagales monocotyledonous class (there is only one cotyledon in the seed of these plants). There is little information about the family, since it was recognized by taxonomists relatively recently, since the APG III classification system for flowering plants, which was adopted in 2009, has undergone changes with previous versions. The family includes only 6 genera, which naturally includes curculigo. All 20 varieties that are known today grow in areas around the planet where there is a tropical or subtropical climate, and seven species (two of which are endemic) are found in China.
The plant bears its name from the Latin word "curculio", which translates as "weevil", since attentive scientists in ancient times noticed such a configuration in the seeds of a plant.
Curculigo is a herbaceous perennial. It often has tuberous rhizome outlines. In height, such a bush can reach a meter or one and a half with the same diameter. Leaf plates have petioles or grow sessile (basal). If there is a petiole, then it has a longitudinal groove on its surface. Leaves usually have a lanceolate shape, their surface is elastic, folded, leathery, corrugated or curved. Dimensions in length reach 100 cm with a width of 15 cm. The color of the foliage is pleasant green, but variegated varieties are available, then on the leaf plate there is a pattern of cream or whitish stripes or strokes placed longitudinally.
Flowering stems originate in the leaf axils, erect or take a curved appearance, can be either long or short. The resulting inflorescences are in the form of brushes, spike-shaped or capitate, with a downward bend. The flowers that make up the inflorescences are bisexual or unisexual. Usually there are 5-10 buds. The bract is densely pubescent, its length is almost equal to the flower itself. Usually the perianth is yellow. Six flower segments are spreading, sometimes fused into a tube at the base, and at the top they have a limb. The stamens originate from the base of the perianth segments. The anther is practically raised. The surface of the ovary is hairy, two ovarian, the stigma has three lobes.
When the fruits ripen, berries appear with a different beak (if any). This beak is formed by a persistent perianth tube. The seeds are small in size and can often be striped. Curculigo is considered one of the lightest species in the flora when grown indoors. The growth rate of this tropical exotic is quite high and it can delight its owners for more than 10 years, as it is characterized by increased resistance. Often, due to the large parameters and the normal attitude to the shade, it is customary to place the curculigo pot in large general-purpose rooms, such as halls, halls, lobbies, offices or terraces. With its leaves of a rich shade, this green inhabitant of the planet can decorate nondescript rooms. Shows its growth well in winter gardens.
Tips for caring for curculigo at home
- Illumination and location selection. Since this tropical exotic loves to grow in forests, it is clear that it does not need direct rays of the sun, so we put the pot with the plant on the window sills facing east or west. But it was noticed that in the shade of curculigo he feels great, that is, the northern orientation of the room is suitable for him, you can also keep this flowerpot in the corner of the room.
- Content temperature. Since curculigo is a tropical plant, heat readings should not change throughout the year. At the same time, it is recommended in the spring-summer time that the column of the thermometer be in the range of 20-22 breasts, and by winter the temperature can be smoothly lowered only to 18 units. The plant is very afraid of the action of a draft, although it likes airing.
- Air humidity when growing curculigo is an important parameter. As it is a representative of the tropical flora, it is recommended to maintain high levels of moisture content in the air. Dry air will provoke pest damage. And also the appearance of the leaves will deteriorate - the tips will begin to acquire a brown color and dry out. At the same time, dry places are cut in such a way that only a couple of millimeters remain to the living tissue. It is recommended to carry out frequent spraying of the deciduous mass and during the heating season the pot of curculigo is moved away from the heating appliances. At least you need to spray the bush once a week, but you can also daily. When spraying, you can not be afraid to flood the foliage, since excess liquid will drain along it along the grooves on the corrugated surface. However, this is a bit of a problem when wiping the foliage, since even light pressure can damage it. It is recommended to use soft foam rubber so that it can easily penetrate the embossed grooves on the sheet. When wiping, the sheet plate should be supported from below with the second hand, since the corrugation is easily wrinkled and damage cannot be restored.
- Watering. For curculigo, the main thing is to learn how to maintain a balance when watering the substrate - it must be constantly moisturized. Overdrying, as well as waterlogging of the soil, is harmful. In the summer period, watering is carried out once every 5-7 days, and in the autumn-winter months they are reduced to once for 10-15 days. Only warm and soft water is used. It is recommended to use distilled or thoroughly purified.
- Fertilizers for curculigo. For this representative of the tropics, it is important to feed from the beginning of the activation of its growth until September. They use organic and mineral preparations. Regularity - every 14 days. It is recommended to take top dressing in a liquid consistency.
- Transplants and advice on soil selection. While the plant is young, the pot of soil is changed to it annually or once every two years, while adults are transplanted curculigo only once every 2-3 years. It is advisable to select wide pots, due to the highly developed rhizome. There should be a sufficient layer (2-3 cm) of drainage on the bottom and it is important to make holes for the outflow of excess fluid. When transplanting, it is important not to deepen the curculigo bush. If a young plant is planted incorrectly, then over time it seems to indicate to the owner his mistake - the bush begins to rise above the soil surface on its roots. Also, at the same time, the exotic becomes unstable and may fall, since the root system is not yet sufficiently developed. Adult specimens "stick" well to the substrate by the roots, despite all their lush deciduous mass, despite the fact that above the ground, not only the stem, but also the upper part of the root processes is clearly visible. The mixture is selected light so that waterlogging does not occur and water can easily seep out. The acidity should be slightly acidic in the region of pH 5, 0-6, 0. They make up the substrate from turfy soil, leafy and coarse sand (in a ratio of 1: 2: 1) or take garden soil, river sand or perlite, peat or humus (leafy soil) so that all parts are equal. You can use store-bought mixtures for bulbous plants, which retain moisture well.
- General information on care. Old foliage should be pruned, and young foliage should be regularly wiped from dust. You should be extremely careful when wiping, as the leaves are very delicate. Due to the fact that they are rather fragile, then you need to put the pot with the plant so that the leaf plates do not touch the surrounding objects.
DIY curculigo breeding tips
To get a new bush of this beautiful representative of the tropics, you can divide the rhizome of an overgrown bush, plant young shoots or sow seeds.
When April arrives, you can try to divide the curculigo mother plant by cutting the rhizomes into pieces. Each division must have at least two leaves. In order not to cause unnecessary stress for your exotic, it is recommended to combine this manipulation with a transplant. The plant is removed from the pot and the rhizome is divided with a sharp and well-sharpened knife, and then the cuttings are planted in separate, pre-prepared containers with drainage at the bottom and a selected substrate. The soil is usually made up of soddy soil, leaf and river sand in proportions (2: 1: 0, 5).
Also, when transplanting curculigo, young layers can be separated from the bush. They are also separated with a sharpened garden tool, then, like delenki, planting is carried out in small pots. The planting depth should be the same as that of the mother plant, since with a strong deepening, the number of offspring that will develop later will be small.
In rare cases, seed propagation is used. Planting material should be placed in bowls with a substrate of peat, turf, leafy soil and river sand (in a ratio of 2: 1: 2: 1). The germination temperature is maintained within 20 degrees. After the seedlings germinate, they are placed in a place with diffused illumination and subsequently dived. At the same time, watering is carried out moderately, and when the roots of young plants braid the entire earthen clod, then transfer is carried out (without destroying the clod of soil).
Curculigo pest and disease control
The plant, if the above-described conditions of detention are violated, can be affected by the following pests: scale insects, mealybugs or spider mites. In the case of the appearance of harmful insects on the foliage, a sticky bloom, whitish lumps or cobweb appears. It is necessary to carry out treatment with an insecticidal preparation of a wide spectrum of action.
If curculigo is under the scorching rays of the sun at noon, then a brown spot forms on the leaf plates. When the substrate in the pot is constantly in a waterlogged state, the plant will inevitably begin to rot.
Interesting facts about curculigo
It happens that curculigo is mistakenly called a palm tree, since its leaf plates very much resemble the outlines of young palm leaves (wai) that have not begun to divide.
Types of curculigo
Curculigo recurvate Dry. Sometimes called curculigo unfolded. The native territories of growth are in the lands of India. The most common type in indoor floriculture. Perennial with a herbaceous form of growth, evergreen. The plant very much resembles a palm tree with its solid leaf plates. The color of the foliage is dark green, its shape is lanceolate or broadly lanceolate, oblong or oval, the length is measured 100 cm, wide - up to 15 cm. The surface of the leaf is rather hard, covered with longitudinal folds, with a bend. The leaves are attached to short or elongated petioles, and are spread out to the sides. The petiole has a longitudinal groove.
When blooming, small and inconspicuous buds appear, the petals of which are cast in a yellowish-gray color. From the flowers, dense capitate inflorescences are collected, in which there are 5-10 buds. They differ in bend. Each flower has a large bracts of the same length with a pubescent surface. The perianth consists of three pairs of petals with a pointed, bent apex. The flowering process lasts from May to September.
There are garden forms:
- "Striata", has a leaf blade on which there is a whitish strip in the center;
- "Variegata", the foliage is decorated with longitudinal whitish stripes.
Curculigo orchioides has a straight rhizome, subcylindrical, about 10x1 cm. Leaves are sessile or short-petiolate. The leaf blade is lanceolate to linear, usually 10–45 (-90) x0, 5–2, 5 cm in size. The leaf surface can be slightly pubescent or bare, there is a narrowing at the base, and a strong sharpening at the apex. The flower stems are pubescent with hairs, reaching 6–7 cm in length, almost completely hidden by the tiled covering of the petiole. The shape of the bracts is lanceolate, 2, 5–5 cm, the edge is ciliate. Inflorescences are umbellate, with 4-6 flowers. The peduncle is only 2 mm. Perianth - yellow, Petals are oblong-lanceolate, their parameters are 8-12x2, 5-3 mm. The size of the stamens is half the length of the perianth, filament 1.5–2 mm, the anther reaches 2–4 mm.
When ripe, a fruit appears in the form of a fusiform berry with parameters 1, 2–1, 5x0, 6 cm. The length of the beak is 2.5 mm. The process of flowering and ripening of fruits stretches from April to September.
The species prefers to settle in forests, on open grassy slopes, at an altitude of 1600 meters above sea level. Distributed in China, Cambodia, India and Indonesia, as well as in Laos, Myanmar, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. Rhizomes are used in medicine.
Curculigo sinensis has short and thickened rhizomes. The petiole is 40 cm. The leaf blade is oblong-lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, with parameters about 85x4 cm. The surface is highly layered, leathery, with slight hair growth, especially on the veins, there is a narrowing at the base, the apex with a strong sharpening. The color is deep green.
The length of the peduncles can approach 15 cm, there is pubescence. Inflorescences about 9 cm, dense, consisting of 40 or more flowers. The shape of the bracts is linear-lanceolate to subulate, sizes 3–3, 5x0, 2–0, 3 cm. The edge and base are hairy. The pedicel is also hairy, with a length of about 23 mm. The diameter of the perianth is up to 1 cm, the leaves are 5–6x2, 5–4 mm in size. They have pointed tops, the outer ones with a groove in the middle, and the inner ones are smooth. Anther oblong lanceolate, about 3 mm in length. The ovary is fusiform, with pubescence, reaching 8 mm. Flowering occurs in April-May.
When fruiting, a berry ripens with a pubescent surface, about 1, 6 cm, with a short beak.
Prefers to settle on the grassy slopes of South Yunnan at an altitude of about 1800 meters above sea level.
Curculigo gracillis prefers to grow in the shady and humid forests of Cambodia, Nepal, Thailand and Vietnam, climbing up to 1000 meters.
The rhizomes are very short, creeping. There are 5-9 leaves. The length of the petiole is 7–13 cm. The shape of the leaf blade is lanceolate to elongated lanceolate, with parameters 20–50х3–5 cm. The color of the foliage is green. The surface is corrugated, with a pointed tip.
Blooming in May. Peduncle length 12–20 cm. Bracts linear-lanceolate, the same length as flowers. Perianth yellow, petals 11x4, 5 mm, with a blunt apex. The length of the stamens is 2/3 of the length of the perianth petals. A bottle-shaped berry, slightly pubescent, with a very short beak. Its length reaches 2 cm. The seeds are black, striped.
More about curculigo in the following video:
