| Odontoglossum crispum | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Orchidaceae |
| Subfamily: | Epidendroideae |
| Genus: | Odontoglossum |
| Species: | O. crispum |
| Binomial name | |
| Odontoglossum crispum | |
Odontoglossum crispum, the curled odontoglossum, is an epiphytic orchid from the genus Odontoglossum . It is considered by many to be the most beautiful orchid of all but is also one of the most difficult to grow. [1]
Odontoglossum crispum has an ovoid pseudobulb, between 3 and 4 inches long, from the apex of which emerge two soft-textured, erect to arching, linear to strap shaped or lanceolate leaves. The leaves are sharply pointed at the tip and narrowed below where they are longitudinally folded along the mid-vein at the base to form a long, narrow, petiole-like stem. [2]
The gracefully arching flower spike, which can be up to 20 inches long, emerges from the base of a recently matured pseudobulb along the centre-line of the upper basal sheath. Flowers are closely spaced in a raceme on the upper part of the flower spike, but there are often two or three lateral branches at the base of the raceme. Each flower is carried on a pedicellate ovary that is up to 0.9 in long. [2]
There are between 6 and 24 flowers on each inflorescence. The blossoms are the most variable in the Odontoglossum genus in terms of size, colour and degree of crimpling along the segment margins. [2] The flowers are mostly white or pale rose, sometimes more or less spotted and blotched with brownish or reddish brown. The callus at the base of the lip is yellow and is often marked with red lines. The widely spread, flat-opening flowers are 3 to 4 inches across with very wide sepals that are elliptic, have sharply pointed tips, often overlap and are variously crisped or wavy-margined or toothed and notched along the margins. The dorsal sepal is lanceolate to egg-shaped, undulate on the margin and 1.2 to 2.0 inches long by 0.5 to 0.9 inches wide. The obliquely spreading lateral sepals are similar in size to the dorsal sepal. The horizontally spreading petals are egg-shaped to elliptic or oblong elliptic, 1.2 to 1.8 inches long by 0.7 to 1.5 inches wide, and have margins that are wavy and fairly deeply notched or toothed. The lip is oblong or somewhat fiddle-shaped. It is 0.8 to 1.2 inches long by 0.5 to 0.6 inches wide, has toothed margins and is rather sharply pointed at the apex. The callus is fleshy with a pair of diverging lobes at the apex. The slender, slightly arching column is 0.6 to 0.7 inches long and has a pair of broad wings with fringed margins toward the apex. [2]
Several authorities regard Odontoglossum crispum as a synonym of Oncidium alexandrae. [3] [4]
Odontoglossum crispum is found in the montane forest of Colombia, at altitudes of between 6,000 feet (1,800 m) and 10,000 feet (3,000 m), including in the eastern Cordillera in the departments of Cundinamarca and Boyacá and in the Andes of southern Colombia in the departments of Cauca, Putumayato and Nariño. [2]
The plants grow as epiphytes in clearings and along forest edges. [2] They grow chiefly on the trunks and main branches of oak trees in partial shade and occasionally full sun. [5]
Throughout the year, days average 19-21 °C (66–70 °F) and nights average 10-12 °C (50–53 °F), with a diurnal range of 9-11 °C (14–19 °F). Rainfall is light to moderate throughout the year, but there is no actual dry season. In addition, more moisture is available from heavy dew and mist. Humidity is 70–75% throughout the year. [2]
Odontoglossum crispum comes in an array of shapes, colours, and shades, from pure white to flush pink. [5] The variability of the flower is associated with discrete areas; in the Pacho area (30 miles north of Bogota) are found the finest varieties, full round pure white and spotted flowers with broad overlapping sepals and petals; in the Vélez area (further north) the flowers are similar but shaded rose; south of Bogota, in the Fusagasugá region (25 miles south of Bogota), the white mauve tinted stellate flowers; while in Nariño, the O. crispum var. Lehmannii is found which bears up to 80 small flowers on a branched inflorescence. [5]
Odontoglossum crispum requires cool, well watered, humid conditions, with medium to heavy shade to thrive and after growth has slowed in the autumn it needs a slight lessening of water and fertilizer. [6]
Rather shaded conditions are required, in low to moderate light, which should be filtered or diffused; plants should never be exposed to direct midday sun. Strong air movement should be provided at all times. [2]
Plants should be potted in a well drain medium such as medium fir bark. Plants should be watered often while actively growing, but drainage should be excellent, and conditions around the roots should become rather dry between the watering. Water should be reduced in late autumn after new growth has matured; water should be reduced further in winter, particular for plants grown in dark, short-day conditions common in temperate latitudes. Plants should not, however, be allowed to dry out completely. Fertilizer should be reduced or eliminated until heavier watering is resumed in spring. [2]
Ideally, the plants grow best in a cool marine climate, such as the California fog belt or the Pacific Northwest. Elsewhere, high daytime temperatures will enfeeble and destroy it, unless air-conditioning is available. [1]
Odontoglossum crispum was discovered in 1841 by Karl Theodor Hartweg, [5] in the high Andes Mountains, near Pacho in the department of Cundinamarca, Colombia, during one of his plant collecting expeditions for the Royal Horticultural Society. It was named "Crispum" by John Lindley, a reference to the crisped edges of the flower. [5]
None of the plants shipped from the 1841 expedition survived the trip back to England, and it was not until 1863 that the plant first flowered in England, [5] once growers had been able to re-create the cool natural habitat of these "alpine" plants. English growers had initially believed that the Colombian tropics were hot and steaming jungles and tried to grow the plant in the hot-houses favoured by Victorian horticulturists. It was not until growers found how to lower the temperature of their glasshouses, by running water on the outside of the glass panels and having water dripping in front of the open sides to cool down the air, that the plant was able to survive and flower in England. [5]
As orchid mania reached its height, several London orchid houses, including Rollisson of Tooting, Veitch of Chelsea, and Low of Clapton, sent out plant collectors to bring back samples of O. crispum. Amongst the Veitch collectors were David Bowman, who successfully located O. crispum "Alexandrae" in Colombia in 1867, [7] Henry Chesterton who discovered the variety O. crispum "Chestertonii" (named after him) in the late 1870s, [8] Guillermo Kalbreyer, who in June 1881 "sent home a collection of Orchids, consisting principally of O. crispum", [9] and David Burke, who collected in Colombia from 1894 to 1896. [10]
In his book, "About Orchids – A Chat" published in 1893, Frederick Boyle describes the "harvesting" of O. crispum from Colombia. The collector would make Bogotá his headquarters from where he would need to travel "about ten days to the southward" by mule. On reaching his destination, he would "hire a wood; that is, a track of mountain clothed more or less with timber" from a tribal chief. He would then hire "natives, twenty or fifty or a hundred, as circumstances advise" and set them to cut down all the trees. In the meantime, the collector would build "a wooden stage of sufficient length to bear the plunder expected" where he would clean, sort and dry the orchids. Each tree would produce between three and five usable specimens. He goes on to explain:
"It is a terribly wasteful process. If we estimate that a good tree has been felled for every three scraps of Odontoglossum which are now established in Europe, that will be no exaggeration. And for many years past they have been arriving by hundreds of thousands annually! But there is no alternative. A European cannot explore that green wilderness overhead; if he could, his accumulations would be so slow and costly as to raise the proceeds to an impossible figure. The natives will not climb, and they would tear the plants to bits. Timber has no value in those parts as yet, but the day approaches when Government must interfere." [11]
Odontoglossum crispum appears frequently in the illustrations of John Day in his scrapbooks – 40 times between 1865 and 1887. The species was highly sought after in Victorian times, both for the diversity of its flower colour and as a cool-growing species that could be successfully cultivated. By 1889, varieties were sold for more than 150 guineas at auction. [12]
Odontoglossum crispum shows many variations ranging from pure white to yellow to rose, including various highly spotted flowers. In the 1901 edition of his Orchid Guide, Sander described 108 varieties of O. crispum and 27 natural hybrids having crispum as a possible parent. [5] The natural hybrids include: [2]
O. crispum has been regularly used in hybridization as it promotes flowers of good size and shape. [5]
Because of its varied nature, many botanists have incorrectly identified plants as separate species, including: [6]
Bateman named the orchid O. alexandrae after the then Princess of Wales, Alexandra of Denmark, generating confusion which lasted for several years. [5]
Phragmipedium is a genus of the Orchid family (Orchidaceae) and the only genus comprised in the tribe Phragmipedieae and subtribe Phragmipediinae. The name of the genus is derived from the Greek phragma, which means "division", and pedium, which means "slipper". It is abbreviated 'Phrag' in trade journals.
Aerides, known commonly as cat's-tail orchids and fox brush orchids, is a genus belonging to the orchid family. It is a group of tropical epiphyte orchids that grow mainly in the warm lowlands of tropical Asia from India to southern China to New Guinea. They are valued in horticulture for their racemes of showy, fragrant, colorful flowers.
Oncidium, abbreviated as Onc. in the horticultural trade, is a genus that contains about 330 species of orchids from the subtribe Oncidiinae of the orchid family (Orchidaceae). As presently conceived, it is distributed across much of South America, Central America, Mexico and the West Indies, with one species (O. ensatum) extending into Florida. Common names for plants in this genus include dancing-lady orchid and golden shower orchid.
Brassia is a genus of orchids classified in the subtribe Oncidiinae. It is native to Mexico, Central America, the West Indies, and northern South America, with one species extending into Florida.
Miltonia, abbreviated Milt. in the horticultural trade, is an orchid genus comprising twelve epiphyte species and eight natural hybrids. The miltonias are exclusively inhabitants of Brazil, except for one species whose range extends from Brazil into the northeast of Argentina and the east of Paraguay.
Odontoglossum, first named in 1816 by Karl Sigismund Kunth, is a genus of about 100 orchids. The scientific name is derived from the Greek words odon (tooth) and glossa (tongue), referring to the two tooth-like calluses on the base of the lip. This genus of cool to cold growing orchids is to be found on open spots in the humid cloud forest at higher elevations from Central- and West South America to Guyana, with most species around the northern Andes. The abbreviation for this genus is Odm. in the horticultural trade.
Sir Harry James Veitch was an eminent English horticulturist in the nineteenth century, who was the head of the family nursery business, James Veitch & Sons, based in Chelsea, London. He was instrumental in establishing the Chelsea Flower Show, which led to his being knighted for services to horticulture.
Aspasia, abbreviated as Asp. in the horticultural trade, is a genus of 7 species of orchids occurring from southern Mexico to southern Brazil. The genus is closely related to Miltonia and Brassia. Aspasia species have few medium size flowers of exquisite colors which are occasionally cultivated or used to produce artificial hybrids.
Masdevallia veitchiana, also known as Veitch's masdevallia or king of the masdevallias, is an orchid species of the genus Masdevallia.
Gustav Wallis was a German plant collector who introduced over 1,000 plant species to Europe, many of which were named after him. He was particularly focused on orchid hunting during the Victorian orchid craze, but also was the first European collector of plants such as large-leaved Anthurium specimens that continue to be among the most sought after today.
David Burke was one of the most widely travelled plant collectors, who was sent by James Veitch & Sons to collect plants in British Guiana, Burma and Colombia. In his later life, Burke became rather eccentric, preferring the privations of life away from his native England.
Richard Pearce was a British plant collector, who introduced the tuberous begonia to England, which led to the development of the hybrid begonias grown today.
Begonia davisii is a plant in the begonia family, Begoniaceae, which was used in the early days of breeding Begonia × tuberhybrida cultivars.
David Bowman was a British plant collector who, in 1866, was sent by James Veitch & Sons to collect in Brazil. The species Dieffenbachia bowmanii is named after him.
Miltoniopsis vexillaria is a species of epiphytic orchid in the genus Miltoniopsis.
Joseph Henry Chesterton was a British plant collector who was sent by James Veitch & Sons to search for orchids in South America with much success.
Wilhelm (Guillermo) Kalbreyer (1847–1912) was a German plant collector who was sent by James Veitch & Sons of Chelsea, London to collect new plants in West Africa and South America.
Odontoglossum nobile, the grand odontoglossum, is a species of orchid endemic to Colombia.
Phymatochilum brasiliense is an orchid species, inhabitant of Serra do Mar mountains in Brazilian southeast and northeast, which vegetatively resembles Oncidium species, however, is more closely related to the genus Miltonia. It is the only species of the genus Phymatochilum.
× Cambria is a commercial name for intergeneric hybrids among the following genera of orchids of the family Orchidaceae, subfamily Epidendroideae, tribe Cymbidieae and subtribe Oncidiinae:
