Masdevallia racemosa

Also known as: The Racemose Masdevallia or Spectaculum racemosum Masdevallia racemosa var. crossii in the subfamily: Epidendroideae

Native to: Departamento del Huila - Colombia

General Information

The Racemose Masdevallia is a small sympodial cold growing epiphytic or terrestrial orchid belonging to the sub family Epidendroideae native to Colombia. The name refers to the inflorescence.

Plant Description

Sympodial. Grows to 0.5-20cm. Each new growth has numerous leathery erect, rigid, oblong shaped leaves that grow to 2-12.5cm long

Flowers

Numerous blossoms appear during Summer and Autumn

Blooming Season

• Autumn
• Summer

Substrate(s)

• Coarse
• Bark
• Treefern
• Spaghnum Moss
• Perlite

Care Notes

These orchids like to be watered regulary, especially during warm weather, and prefer a well draining mix or also do well mounted, provided they can be watered daily or even many times a day.

These are quite a forgiving orchid, there are no special requirements to get this orchid to flower, just good care and consistent conditions. Larger plants may be more fussy and can react poorly to change; a poorly timed repotting, a pest infection or an unusually hot day can set them back for a couple of years. However, even plants that have been treated poorly can thrive, and if they are set back they often recover much stronger then they would otherwise be.

Climate

Grows at high elevations. Rainfall ranges from 33mm to 277mm per day, heaviest in November and lightest in August. Humidity ranges from 62% to 79%, highest in December and lowest in August. Temperature ranges from 4C to 19C, highest in August (5C to 19C) and lowest in May (4C to 17C).

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.

Keep moisture levels up during hot weather as the plant is prone to dehydration

Fertiliser

These orchids do not need to be regularly fertilised and roots may be sensitive to salt build-up, dying back and therefore impairing the plants growth or even killing it.

If fertilising, use half to quarter of the recommended amount of fertiliser. If they receive fertiliser as part of a collection, be sure to flush out the pots regularly with fresh water and monitor the roots by checking how much resistance is given by the plant when nudged in its pot or mount. If the plant becomes wobbly or loose, repot in fresh mix or rinse the media/mount thoroughly and do not fertilise for at least 3 months.

Use balanced fertiliser year round. Apply fertiliser regularly at half strength year round. This plant is sensitive so apply fertiliser sparingly at one quarter recommended strength or less. Use a high Nitrogen fertiliser year round. Use a high Phosphorous fertiliser during Summer.

Potting

Due to the growth nature of these plants they are best mounted onto cork, tree fern slabs, or even trees if the climate suits. Water regularly especially in hot weather.

Use water retentive media such as moss to prevent roots from drying out quickly This plant does very well in baskets or suspended pots This plant does well mounted to Cork slabs. Repotting is best done annually.