Read more of cultivation of Brachycorythis kalbreyeri Rchb.f.
Culture:
Light:
1000-1800 fc. In nature, plants usually are found in deep shade. For cultivated plants, light should be filtered or diffused, and plants should not be exposed to direct midday sun. Strong air movement should be provided at all times.
Temperatures:
Throughout the year, days average 69-75F (21-24C), and nights average 52-54F (11-12C), with a diurnal range of 13-22F (7-12C). The warmest days and greatest diurnal range of the year occur in late winter and early spring at the end of the winter dry season.
Humidity:
70-80% in summer, dropping to 55-60% most during most of the remainder of the year. Averages may be somewhat greater in the mossy-forest habitat, however.
Water:
Rainfall is moderate heavy from midspring to early autumn, but averages than fall into a 3-month drier period in winter. Cultivated plants should be watered heavily while actively growing, but drainage must be excellent, with the roots becoming dry between waterings.
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, and then switch to one high in phosphates in late summer and autumn.
Rest period:
Growing conditions should be maintained all year. la Croix & la Croix (1997) reported that Brachycorythis species require similar conditions in cultivation to species of Stenoglottis. They then went on to suggest that when the plant starts to die back after flowering, it should be kept almost dry. They stated, "If the pot is lightly sprinkled with water every few weeks, this helps to prevent the fleshy roots from shriveling, but and excess of water is fatal." Fertilizer should be reduced or eliminated until new growth starts and heavier watering is resumed in spring.
Growing media:
Growers report that these plants should be potted in a light, free-draining mixture and watered normally while actively growing. Growers in South Africa report that for success with Stenoglottis, the crown should be placed just beneath, or at the same level as the medium in a shallow dish or pot filled with a very well-drained and aerated medium. Hawkes (1965) recommended: "These plants are best grown in rather shallow, perfectly-drained pots or pans, filled with a porous compost of shredded osmunda, fibrous loam, gritty sand, and chopped sphagnum moss."
Notes:
Growers report that plants are in bloom for several weeks and frequent blooming orchid species.
References:
This information is quoted from a Charles and Margaret Baker culture sheet, with permission from Troy Meyers
Brachycorythis basifoliata Summerh., Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1937: 457 (1937).
Description:
Herba terrestris, circiter 60 cm. alta, glaberrima; caulis e rhizomate repente erectus, pro rata gracilis, teres, circiter 8-foliatus. Folia 3-4 infima radicalia, suberecta vel erecto-patentia, e vagina ampla 6-8 cm. longa exorientia, lineari- vel oblongo-lanceolata, apice acutata breviter apiculato-acuminata, basi in petiolum falsum attenuata, tota (vagina inclusa) 19-48 cm. longa, 2-3-5 cm. lata; folia caulina 4, suberecta, lanceolata vel oblongo-lanceolata, basi breviter vaginantia, apice acutata, breviter acuminata, 5-5-19 cm. longa, 1-5-2-5 cm. lata, folio supremo 5-5-7-5 cm. infra inflorescentiam disposito. Inflorescentia recta, circiter 17 cm. 4-6 longa, cm. diametro, subdense multiflora; rhachis gracilis; bracteae foliaceae, lanceolatae, acuminatae, 1-5 cm. longae, infimae flores aequantes vel superantes. Flores erecto-patentes, laete purpurei; pedicelli cum ovariis 2-3 cm. longi. Sepalum intermedium erectum, elliptico-ovatum, rotundatum, 11-12 mm. longum, 6-7 mm. latum; sepala lateralia patentia, valde oblique elliptico-ovata, apice obtusa, 15 mm. longa, 9 mm. lata. Petala basi cum columna adnata, oblique oblongo-triangularia, basi latere antico valde dilatata fere cordata, apice rotundata, 11 mm. longa, juxta basin 8 mm. lata. Labellum porrectum, totum 2 cm. longum; basi utroque margine columnae adnatum, hypochilium saccatum rotundatum circiter 6 mm. longum formans; epichilium lateribus deflexis, suborbiculare, apiculatum, explanatum 14 mm. longum, 13 mm. latum, carina mediana angusta laevissima instructum. Columna circiter 6 mm. longa; antherae loculi erecti, paralleli, canalibus brevissimis ; pollinii caudiculae breves, viscidia oblongo-elliptica, 1 mm. longa; staminodia compressa, suborbicularia; rostelli lobus intermedius plicatus, cucullatus, lobi laterales auriculiformes, brevissimi; stigma e basi columnari bilobum, lobis erectis - conicis apice subulatis.
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Habitat:
Note:
The most striking features are the very long radical leaves and few, quite distant cauline ones, the whole effect thus produced being totally different from that in any other member of the genus. The nearest relative of Brachycorythis basifoliata is undoubtedly Brachycorythis kalbreyeri Rchb. f., which possesses flowers of about the same size. The column structure in these two species is almost identical, as is also the lip hypochile.
Distribution:
São Tomé, Príncipe
Brachycorythis disoides (Ridl.) Kraenzl., Orchid. Gen. Sp.: 543 (1898).
Homotypic Names:
Habenaria disoides Ridl., J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 21: 511 (1885).
Diplacorchis disoides (Ridl.) Schltr., Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 38(2): 131 (1921).
Gyaladenia disoides (Ridl.) Szlach., Richardiana 6: 81 (2006).
Description:
Plants upright, stocky, 15-30 cm. tall; stem densely leafy. Leaves cauline, oval-acuminate (2.5-5 x 1-1.2cm.). Raceme semi-dense, short (7.5 - 15cm.) and thick; bracts oval-acuminate, basal ones longer than the pedicels; flowers purplish, rose or whitish-rose. Sepals obtuse, free, median lanceolate, laterals narrowly oblong. Petals similar to the lateral sepals. Labellum oblong, obtuse, contracted basally; calluses 1mm. tall; spur short (5mm. long x 2mm. wide) compressed, recessed basally, bilobed with the lobules angular-acute. Anther slightly obovate, 2.5mm. long; viscidium flat, orbicular; staminodes narrow, situated slightly above the anther; rostellum very flat truncate apically.
Habitat:
In prairies, seepages and steep slopes at elevations of 1400 to 2000 meters.
Phenology:
Flowering from December-March.
Cultivation:
As given for the genus.
Distribution:
C. Madagascar
References:
Flora of Madagascar: vascular plants: 49th family, Orchids / by H. Perrier de La Bathie; published under the auspices of the government of Madagascar and under the direction of H. Humbert; English revision and translation by Steven D. Beckman; Field Guide to the Orchids of Madagascar Cribb & Herman 2009
Images:
Click on each image to see a larger version.
| In culture |
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| Photograph© Olaf Pronk. Image used with kind permission. |
Brachycorythis tanganyikensis Summerh., Kew Bull. 16: 257 (1962).
Homotypic Synonyms:
Phyllomphax tanganyikensis (Summerh.) Szlach., Richardiana 6: 78 (2006).
Description:
Herba terrestris, 12-26 cm. alta, radicibus exceptis fere omnino glabra; tubera 1-3, ellipsoidea vel cylindrico-ellipsoidea, 1-3 cm. longa, 6-12 mm. diametro, ut radices subdense tomentosa. Caules solitarii vel bini, erecti, saepe leviter flexuosi, per totam longitudinem foliati, teretes, in inflorescentias terminantes. Folia 5-7, inferiora 2-3 ad vaginas redacta, superiora ± patentia, breviter (usque 1-5 cm.) petiolata, late lanceolata vel ellipticolanceolata, acuta, 2-5-9 cm. longa, 1.5-3.5 cm. lata, siccitate chartacea, plurinervia, costa subtus prominula. Inflorescentia 3-7 cm. longa, laxe 2-7-flora; rhachis saepe leviter fractiflexa, gracilis; bracteae foliaceae, lanceolatae, acutae, usque 4 cm. longae et 2 cm. latae, flores superantes vel aequantes. Flores patentes, virides et albi purpureo-notati; pedicellus cum ovario arcuatus, 5-8 mm. longus, angulatus. Sepalum intermedium erectum vel leviter incurvatum, valde convexum, orbiculari-ovatum, obtusum, circiter 4.5 mm. longum et latum (explanatum), trinervium; sepala lateralia reflexa, oblique semi-orbicularia, apice obtusa, circiter 5 mm. longa et 2.5 mm. lata, uninervia. Petala e columna libera, ± patentia, oblique lanceolato-oblonga, obtusa, fere 4 mm. longa et 1-5 mm. lata, uninervia. Labellum deflexim porrectum; epichilium e basi angusta ambitu late obovatum, circiter 6-5 mm. longum et latum, dimidio apicali trilobatum, lobo intermedio triangulari obtuso parvo, lobis lateralibus multo majoribus et longioribus incurvatim triangularibus acutis, basi callis duobus indistinctis instructum; hypochilium calcaratum, incurvatum, apice leviter inflatum bilobulatum, in toto 4-5 mm. longum. Anthera erecta, brevis, obtusa, loculis parallelis elongatis 3 mm. longis, canalibus vix distinctis, auriculis pro rata magnis rugosis fere bilobatis 1-4 mm. longis; pollinia sectilia, caudicula lineari circiter 1.7 mm. longa, viscidio anguste elliptico nudo; rostelli lobus intermedius valde plicatus, cucullatus, plus 1 mm. longus, lobi laterales truncati, lati; fovea stigmatica orbicularis.
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Note:
This species is clearly allied to the West African B. macrantha (Lindl.) Summerh. and to several Indian species. It resembles most clearly B. iantha (Wight) Summerh., from which it differs by the characters given in the diagnosis. It is clearly a forest species as shown by the relatively large and thin textured leaves. The foliage leaves are borne on the upper part of the stem, the lower half being covered by the lower sheathing leaves. The shape of the labellum epichile, with its short tooth-like middle lobe and much larger incurving lateral lobes, is reminiscent of species such as B. pleistophylla Rchb.f. and B. kalbreyerRi chb.f. in which the floral structure otherwise is very different. B. tanganyikensish, owever, resembles the latter species in vegetative characters. A striking feature of the present species is provided by the anther loculi which are each drawn out into a tapering lower part. There are no properly defined canals but the caudicles of the pollinia are longer than in other species of Brachycorythis.
Habitat:
Morogoro Distr., Nguru Mts., near Turiani, NW. slope of Mkobwe, 1250 m. alt., in field layer of upland rainforest,
Distribution:
Tanzania (Nguru Mts.)
Brachycorythis velutina Schltr., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 53: 483 (1915).
Description:
Terrestrial herb 25–70 cm tall with fleshy, cylindrical, tuberous, villous roots. Leaves numerous, overlapping, up to 5 × 1.5 cm in the middle of the stem, lanceolate or ovate, acuminate, densely pubescent. Inflorescence 8–13 × 2.5–4 cm, densely many-flowered; ovary and pedicel 1.2–2 cm long; bracts leaf-like, up to 25 × 7 mm, densely pubescent. Flowers cream-coloured or greenish-brown, lip yellow. Sepals 5–6.5 × 2.5–4 mm, pubescent outside; dorsal sepals elliptic, obtuse; lateral sepals obliquely ovate. Petals 4.5–5 × 1.7–2.5 mm, oblong, obtuse, glabrous. Lip hypochile 2–2.5 mm long and deep, cup-shaped, rounded; epichile projecting forwards horizontally, 4.5–6 × 3.8–5.8 mm, obovate, 3-lobed towards the apex, the mid-lobe longer than the side lobes. Column stout, 2.5–3.5 mm long.
Habitat:
Grassland and open woodland 1500–1800 m.
Distribution:
Tanzania to Zimbabwe
