Introducing Cyrtorchis arcuata - a Rare and Elegant Orchid from Tropical Africa!
🌿 Overview: Cyrtorchis arcuata, a small-sized orchid, is a botanical treasure found across the lush landscapes of tropical Africa, reaching as far south as the southern coast of South Africa. Thriving in woodland environments and occasionally gracing riverine forests, this elusive orchid stands out for its remarkable features and exquisite flowers.
🌸 Appearance: This epiphytic wonder boasts a stout, pendulous stem adorned with robust aerial roots. Distichous, dark brown leaf sheaths envelope the stem, showcasing 6 to 12 oblong, fleshy leaves that are obliquely apically bilobed. The crowning glory is its axillary raceme, adorned with 10 to 14 waxy, nocturnally fragrant flowers in shades ranging from white tinged with green or salmon pink to a stunning apricot hue.
🌞 Cultivation Tips:
Light: For optimal growth, Cyrtorchis arcuata requires a light level of 25000-45000 lux. Filtered or diffused light is ideal, while direct midday sun exposure should be avoided. Ensure strong air movement at all times.
Temperature: Maintain a summer day temperature around 27°C and night temperature at 15-16°C, offering a diurnal range of 12°C.
Humidity: During summer and early autumn, humidity should be at 60-65%, decreasing to 50-55% from late autumn through the following spring.
Substrate and Repotting: Choose a well-aerated medium like coarse fir bark or shredded tree-fern fiber. Plants can be grown in a basket or mounted on bark, but if potted, use a coarse mix to prevent root rot. Repot when the medium breaks down or the plant outgrows its container.
Watering: Water regularly during active growth, allowing roots to dry rapidly after watering. Reduce water after new growth matures in late autumn.
Fertilizer: Apply 1/4-1/2 recommended strength weekly during active growth. Use balanced fertilizer throughout the year, shifting to high-nitrogen in spring to midsummer and high-phosphate in late summer and autumn.
Rest Period: In winter, maintain day temperatures at 19-22°C and nights at 2-5°C with a diurnal range of 17°C. Significantly reduce watering, mist occasionally in high humidity, and eliminate fertilizer until new growth starts in spring.
This is a blooming size in a 4" pot, about 1 to 2 years to bloom, grown from seed, limited!
Cyrtorchis arcuata, with its rarity and unique characteristics, is a botanical marvel. Cultivating this orchid involves a careful balance of light, temperature, humidity, substrate, and watering, ensuring that this exotic beauty thrives and graces your space with its mesmerizing presence.
