Read more of Cultivation of Eurychone rothschildiana (O'Brien) Schltr.
Light:
1200-1800 fc. Light should be shady, and plants should never be exposed to direct midday sun. Strong air movement should be provided at all times.
Temperatures:
Summer days average 71-75F (22-24C), and nights average 59-61F (15-16C), with a diurnal range of 12-14F (7-8C). If an evaporative cooler is used in the growing area, these plants should thrive if placed in the cool, moist airflow near the outlet during hot, dry summer weather.
Humidity:
80-85% in summer and early autumn. Averages then drop to 70-75% in winter and early spring.
Water:
Rainfall is heavy from spring through summer and into midautumn. Averages then fall with 2- to 3-month drier season in winter. Cultivated plants should be watered heavily while actively growing, but their roots must dry fairly quickly after watering.
Fertilizer:
1/4-1/2 recommended strength, applied weekly when plants are actively growing. Many growers prefer to use a balanced fertilizer throughout the year; but others use a high-nitrogen fertilizer from spring to midsummer, then switch to one high in phosphates in late summer and autumn.
Rest period:
Winter days average 77-81F (25-27C), and nights average 56-59F (13-15C), with a diurnal range of 19-22F (11-12C). The warmest days, coolest nights, and greatest diurnal range occur during the dry season. Rainfall in the region is reduced for 2-3 months in winter, but additional moisture is available from heavy dew and late-night mist. Water should be reduced for cultivated plants in winter, particularly those grown in the dark, short-day conditions common in temperate latitudes. Plants should not remain without water for long periods, however. In most growing areas, somewhat regular early-morning mistings between occasional light waterings should provide sufficient moisture. Fertilizer should be reduced or eliminated until heavier watering is resumed in spring.
Growing media:
Growers report that this species does better when mounted on a rough cork slab. Mounted plants need high humidity, however, and during hot, dry weather they may need several waterings a day. If it is difficult to keep mounted plants moist enough, they may be grown in a shallow pot or basket filled with a very open, fast-draining medium that has excellent drainage, is well aerated, and allows the medium to dry fairly rapidly after watering. Growers generally use medium-sized fir bark or shredded tree-fern fiber and add varying amounts of chunky perlite and/or chopped sphagnum moss to keep the medium open and retain some moisture. Including charcoal in the mix also holds the medium open and prevents souring in the pot. Plants should be repotted immediately if the medium starts to break down or whenever the plant outgrows its container. Repotting should be done just as new roots start to grow. This enables the plant to become reestablished in the shortest possible time.
Miscellaneous notes:
I. & E. La Croix (1997) reported that this species may be habitually short-lived. They stated, "We have had an apparently healthy mature plant die suddenly without warning and have heard other people say that plants have died suddenly."
References:
This information is quoted from a Charles and Margaret Baker culture sheet, with permission from Troy Meyers
Genus Eurychone
Read more of Cultivation of Eurychone galeandrae (Rchb.f.) Schltr.
Light:
1200-2000 fc. Plants need moderate shade and protection from direct sun. Strong air movement should be provided at all times.
Temperatures:
Summer days average 79-80F (26-27C), and nights average 62F (17C), with a diurnal range of 17-18F (10C).
Humidity:
80-85% most of the year, dropping to near 75% for about 2 months in late winter and early spring.
Water:
Rainfall in the habitat is heavy most of the year, with 2-3 rather dry months in winter. Cultivated plants should be watered heavily while actively growing. Water should be reduced somewhat in late autumn.
Fertilizer:
1/4–1/2 recommended strength, applied weekly when plants are actively growing. Many growers prefer to use a balanced fertilizer throughout the year; but others use a high-nitrogen fertilizer from spring to midsummer, then switch to one high in phosphates in late summer and autumn.
Rest period:
Winter days average 75-77F (24-25C), and nights average 58-60F (14-16C), with a diurnal range of 17-19F (10C). Rainfall in the region is lower in winter, but it may not be quite as low in the higher-elevation habitat as indicated by the averages at the low-elevation weather station. Also, moisture from heavy dew and late-night mist is often available to the plants but is not part of the rainfall averages. Cultivated plants need less in winter, but they should never get completely dry. Fertilizer should be reduced or eliminated when water is reduced.
Growing media:
This orchid grows best in an open basket or mounted on slabs of tree-fern or rough bark which display the pendent flower spikes with less damage to the flowers. Mounted plants need high humidity, however, and must be watered or misted at least once a day most of the year. During especially hot, dry weather, they may require several waterings a day. Many growers find it difficult to keep mounted plants moist enough, so plants may be grown in small, well-drained hanging pots or baskets using a very open, fast-draining medium. Pots or baskets must have excellent drainage and conditions around the roots should never be stale or soggy. Plants should be repotted immediately if the medium starts to break down, but they are most able to become reestablished if they are repotted just as new roots start to grow.
Miscellaneous notes:
This orchid is rather rare in collections and has never been cultivated to any great extent. La Croix and La Croix (1997) report it is particularly susceptible to pests, especially aphids and slugs. Plants should be watched carefully so that prompt corrective action may be taken when necessary.
References:
This information is quoted from a Charles and Margaret Baker culture sheet, with permission from Troy Meyers
Key to the genus Eurychone Schltr.
| 1a | Leaves oblong or ligulate, less than 2.5 cm broad; flowers usually pink, lacking a dark blotch on the lip; sepals and petals 15-18 mm long, spur 25-30 mm long. | Eurychone galeandrae (Rchb.f.) Schltr. |
| 2a | Leaves broadly elliptic to obovate; flowers white with a dark blotch in the lip; sepals and petals 20-25 mm long; spur 20-25 mm long. | Eurychone rothschildiana (O'Brien) Schltr. |
References:
WCSP (2017). 'World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. 28.02-2017; http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
Eurychone galeandrae (Rchb.f.) Schltr., Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 36(2): 135 (1918).
Homotypic Synonyms:
Angraecum galeandrae Rchb.f., Flora 48: 189 (1865).
Angorchis galeandrae (Rchb.f.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 651 (1891).
Rhaphidorhynchus galeandrae (Rchb.f.) Finet, Mém. Soc. Bot. France 9: 43 (1907).
Heterotypic Synonyms:
Angraecum lujae De Wild., Not. Pl. Util. Congo 1: 142 (1903).
Description:
A rather small, 2.4-8.0 in. (6-20 cm) monopodial epiphyte. Pseudobulb/stem: None. Stems are short. Roots are about 0.1 in. (0.3 cm) in diameter. Leaves: 2.4-8.0 in. (6-20 cm) long by 0.4-0.8 in. (1-2 cm) wide. Each growth carries several leaves, which are strap-shaped, narrowly elliptical to oblanceolate, unequally and bluntly bilobed at the tip, and dull olive-green with a thick-texture. Inflorescence: 3-6 in. (8-15 cm) long. The pendent flower spike has a short peduncle so that the first flower is carried close to the base of the plant. Each flower is carried on a pedicellate ovary that is about 0.5 in. (1.2 cm) long. Flowers: 3-12. The rich salmon-pink blossoms have darker veins on the spur. Sepals and petals are spreading, lanceolate with sharply pointed tips, and 0.6-0.7 in. (1.5-1.8 cm) long by 0.2 in. (0.4-0.5 cm) wide. Sepals are slightly keeled on the outside. The obliquely held lateral sepals are slightly longer than either the erect dorsal sepal or the oblique petals. The lip is 0.6-1.0 in. (1.5-2.5 cm) long, funnel-shaped with margins that are irregularly notched and undulate. The lip tapers toward the back forming a spur that is about 1.0 in. (2.5 cm) long. Initially it is broad except for the last 0.4 in. (1 cm) which is much narrower. The last 0.2 in. (0.5 cm) or so of the spur doubles back rather sharply and the very tip is somewhat inflated. The column is abut 0.2 in. (0.6 cm) long.
Habitat:
This orchid grows in forests and woodlands of Angola, the Central African Republic, Gabon, Ivory Coast, and Zaire. Specific habitat type, location, and elevation were not provided, but Pottinger (1983) reports that both species in the genus (Eurychone galeandrae and Eurychone rothschildiana) grow in the rainforests of West Africa. La Croix and La Croix (1997) reports that this species requires intermediate to warm conditions.
Cultivation:
Read more of Cultivation of Eurychone galeandrae (Rchb.f.) Schltr.
Distribution:
Ivory Coast to Angola
References:
la Croix, I. and E. la Croix. 1997. African orchids in the wild and in cultivation. Timber Press, Portland, OR. Pottinger, M. 1983. African orchids-a personal view. H. G. H. Publications, Berkshire, England.
Photos/drawings:
la Croix, I. and E. la Croix. 1997. African orchids in the wild and in cultivation. Timber Press, Portland, OR. (Drawing of flower) ; WCSP (2017). 'World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. 28.02-2017; http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
Images:
Click on each image to see a larger version.
| In culture | In culture | In culture |
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| Photograph©Pieter C.Brouwer. Image used with kind permission. | Photograph©Pieter C.Brouwer. Image used with kind permission. | Photograph©Pieter C.Brouwer. Image used with kind permission. |
Eurychone rothschildiana (O'Brien) Schltr., Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 36(2): 135 (1918).
Homotypic Synonyms:
Angraecum rothschildianum O'Brien, Gard. Chron., ser. 3, 34: 131 (1903).
Description:
A short monopodial epiphyte with roots that are 0.1-0.2 in. (0.3-0.4 cm) in diameter. Pseudobulb/stem: The stem is very short and hidden by overlapping leaf bases. Leaves: 2.4-8.0 in. (6-20 cm) long by 0.6-2.8 in. (1.5-7.0 cm) wide. Three to eight broadly egg-shaped to elliptic or oblanceolate leaves are closely spaced and distichously arranged along the stem. They are leathery, dark green, unequally bilobed at the apex, and have undulate margins. Inflorescence: 1.2-3.5 in. (3-9 cm) long. The flower spike is pendent. Flowers: 2-6 blossoms are usually produced, but occasionally a plant may have as many as 12. The fragrant blossoms have white sepals and petals, and the lip is white with a green and a purple-brown blotch The narrowly oblong-elliptic sepals are sharply pointed and measure 0.8-1.0 in. (2.0-2.5 cm) long by 0.2-0.3 in. (0.6-0.7 cm) wide, with the lateral sepals being slightly longer than the dorsal sepal. Petals are slightly shorter and broader than the sepals. The lip is 0.8-1.1 in. (2.0-2.7 cm) long by 0.8-1.0 in. (2.0-2.5 cm) wide. It is very concave, the margin is undulate irregularly notched or scalloped, and it tapers to a conical spur at the base that is 0.8-1.0 in. (2.0-2.5 cm) long, is constricted in the middle, and then swells again at the tip which bends downward.
Habitat:
Plants have been found in Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Uganda, and Zaire. They grow in shade in evergreen forest at 3600-3950 ft. (1100-1200 m)
Cultivation:
Read more of Cultivation of Eurychone rothschildiana (O'Brien) Schltr.
Distribution:
W. Trop. Africa to Uganda
References:
Hamilton, R. 1988. When does it flower? 2nd ed. Robert M. Hamilton, 9211 Beckwith Road, Richmond, B. C., Canada V6X 1V7. la Croix, I. and E. la Croix. 1997. African orchids in the wild and in cultivation. Timber Press, Portland, OR.; References:
WCSP (2017). 'World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. 2.02-2017; http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
Images:
Click on each image to see a larger version.
| In culture | In culture | In culture |
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 |
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| Photograph ©Gilles Grunenwald. Image used with kind permission. | Photograph ©Gilles Grunenwald. Image used with kind permission. | Photograph ©Gilles Grunenwald. Image used with kind permission. |
