2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
A beautifully flowering orchid that prefers partial shade, loves moderately warm content, abundant summer watering and spraying. In favorable conditions, it rewards the grower with abundant and colorful flowering
Rod Miltonia
Until the end of the 19th century, Brazilian and Colombian orchids were combined into one genus Miltonia, until morphological differences between them were established. Then Colombian orchids were allocated as an independent genus Miltoniopsis, which was recognized by botanists of the world almost a hundred years later.
About two dozen flowering orchids represent the genus Miltonia. The thickened part of the vertical shoot of the plant, in which nutrient reserves are accumulated, is called "pseudobulba" and has a flattened ovoid shape. Belt-shaped or linear leaves hide the bulb from the eyes and are colored yellowish-green, like the pseudobulb itself. An orchid blooms for a long period, but if you cut flowers for a bouquet, they will immediately droop with their petals. The lateral parts usually have one or more flowers. Plants of the genus Miltonia are used by breeders to obtain intergeneric hybrid species.
Rod Miltoniopsis
Only five types of orchids are united by this genus. One or two leaves grow from a pale green pseudo-bulb bulb. The flowers of the plant are large and flat.
Orchids of the listed genera are epiphytes. They choose branches and tree trunks as their place of residence, but do not parasitize on them, but feed on their own, extracting nutrients from the environment and making reserves for future use in their pseudobulbs.
Many hybrid species have been bred by crossing plants of this genus with each other, or with species of other genera.
Varieties
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Miltonia is snow-white (Miltonia candida) - one or two peduncles grow from each bulb. An erect, loose brush on a peduncle consists of 3-5 fragrant large flowers, reaching 9 cm in diameter. The length of the peduncles is up to 40 cm. Flowers appear in autumn. Red-brown specks are scattered on snow-white petals and yellow sepals. A strongly wavy white lip has a purple or light purple blotch and three short brushes.
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Miltonia Renelli (Miltonia regnellii) - has glossy thin leaves and erect peduncles. Three to seven flattened fragrant flowers can be found on the peduncle. The sepals and petals are white, and the lip is light pink with purplish pink stripes and a white border.
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Miltoniopsis phalaenopsis (Miltoniopsis phalaenopsis) - 3-5 pure white flattened flowers are located on short peduncles. At the base of the flower there is an irregular purple spot spreading in small specks to the periphery.
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Miltoniopsis Retzla (Miltoniopsis roezlii) - white fragrant flowers, 2-5 pieces per peduncle. The base of each petal is marked with a lilac-lilac spot, and the base of the lip is marked with an orangey-yellow disc.
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Miltoniopsis Vexillaria (Miltoniopsis vexillaria) - fragrant large flowers are often pink with a white border or white with pink stripes-spots and a yellow spot at the base of the lip.
Growing
Orchids born in dense tropics prefer partial shade. If the place for them is chosen correctly, then their leaves have a pinkish tint, and the color of the flowers is more saturated.
When growing orchids indoors, it is better to choose plastic pots for them that better retain moisture. Pieces of tree bark are placed at the bottom of the pot, and the soil is prepared from finely ground spruce bark, perlite or sphagnum (moss), or ready-made soil for growing orchids is purchased from the store.
For a favorable development, the plant requires moderate heat (in winter the temperature is at least 12 degrees), abundant watering in the summer, spraying and thorough shading.
After flowering, the peduncles are removed.
Reproduction
Once every three years, closer to autumn, the bush is divided so that each new plant has several pseudobulbs and a well-developed root system.
Enemies
Excessive soil salinity provokes drying of the tips of the leaves.
Worms can attack.
Recommended:
Miltonia
Miltonia (lat.Miltonia) - indoor plant; perennial plant of the Orchid family. Miltonia is native to South and Central Brazil. The plant got its name in honor of the English collector of flower crops - Adligen Milton. Characteristics of culture Maltonia is a herbaceous plant;
