Liparis nervosa

Also known as: The Veined Liparis or Sturmia kappleri Sturmia bituberculata Liparis eggersii Liparis nervosa var. khasiana Liparis nervosa ssp. granitica Liparis atacorensis Liparis nervosa ssp. nervosa Liparis bituberculata Liparis cornicaulis Liparis melanoglossa Liparis odontostoma Liparis breviscapa Cymbidium nervosum Cymbidium bituberculatum Liparis guineensis Diteilis nepalensis Diteilis elata Liparis elata Leptorkis elata Leptorkis macrocarpa Leptorkis odontostoma Liparis macrocarpa Liparis nervosa f. aureovariegata Leptorkis eggersii Liparis khasiana Liparis nervosa f. kappleri Liparis violaceonervosa Leptorkis bituberculata Leptorkis kappleri Liparis kappleri Liparis bituberculata var. khasiana Liparis inundata Liparis elata f. albiflora Liparis bambusifolia Leptorkis guineensis Liparis elata var. purpurascens Liparis elata var. longifolia Liparis elata var. latifolia Liparis elata var. inundata in the subfamily: Epidendroideae

Native to: Alabama - United States Angola Burundi Cameroon Colorado - United States Cuba Departamento de Copan - Honduras Ecuador Florida - United States Ghana Guatemala Guinea Illinois - United States India Indiana - United States Jamaica Japan Madagascar Maine - United States Missouri - United States Nebraska - United States New Mexico - United States New York - United States North Carolina - United States Nuevo León - Mexico Oklahoma - United States Panama Peru Philippines Puerto Rico South Africa Texas - United States Thailand Uganda Vermont - United States Yunnan - China Zambia Zimbabwe

General Information

The Veined Liparis is a small sympodial warm growing epiphytic, lithophytic or terrestrial orchid belonging to the sub family Epidendroideae native to United States, Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Cuba, Honduras, Ecuador, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, India, Jamaica, Japan, Madagascar, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, South Africa, Thailand, Uganda, China, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Plant Description

Sympodial. Grows to 50cm. Each new growth has numerous elliptic lance shaped, oblong shaped leaves that grow to 9-35cm long. Pseudobulbs grow to 2-7cm

Flowers

Numerous blossoms appear during Summer and Autumn

Blooming Season

• Autumn
• Summer

Substrate(s)

• Coarse
• Small
• Fine
• Bark
• Charcoal
• Spaghnum Moss
• Perlite
• Sand

Care Notes

This orchid goes into a dormancy phase during winter, during this phase it is best not to provide water unless the plant is starting to look thirsty. The lack of water increases the chance of flowering in spring, and also reduces the likelihood of any rot forming. Do not resume watering until new growth has appeared and is growing strongly.

Often a period of intense growth occurs after dormancy. During this time the amount of light, water and fertiliser the plant receives will directly impact the amount of growth that occurs during this time, and in the case of seedlings, will reduce the time required to reach maturity.

It's recommended to heavily reduce the water amount at the middle to end of autumn to trigger dormancy. Leaves on older bulbs will begin to drop during this time while the newer bulbs continue to mature until terminal leaves appear at the tip of the pseudobulbs.

Repotting can be done any time of the year though it's best to do it in early spring when new growth is appearing as this also means new roots will appear to help the plant anchor into the new media and offset any damage to established roots during the repotting process.

 

Climate

Grows at low to high elevations. Rainfall ranges from 203mm to 381mm per day, heaviest in October and lightest in July. Humidity ranges from 87% to 89%, highest in January and lowest in February. Temperature ranges from 14C to 26C, highest in March (16C to 26C) and lowest in January (14C to 23C).

Watering

These orchids prefer a wet-dry cycle between waterings, they should be watered frequently but only when the moisture is approaching dryness, where the pot feels light and/or the media looks dry. Keep an eye on mounted orchids in warm weather as they may dehydrate quickly.

Fertiliser

dormant-medium-demand-orchid Apply fertiliser regularly at half strength year round. Use a high Nitrogen fertiliser during Spring and Summer. Use a high Phosphorous fertiliser during Summer.

Potting

This orchid prefers a fine, well draining media. Avoid commercial potting mixes as they may have 'wetting agents' that retain water for too long. A simple mix made up of 20% sand, 50% peat or moss, with the remaining 30% made up of decomposed bark and leaf litter would be adequate. Adding some charcoal to the mix will also help it last longer.

Repotting depends on how wet the media is usually. Every 2-3 years would suffice, or whenever the media shows signs of clumping, staying wet for too long, or smells foul.  

Use water retentive media such as moss to prevent roots from drying out quickly Repotting is best done annually.