Which species (or at least genus) of orchid is this? [EDIT: solved, Miltoniopsis] (mander.xyz)

submitted 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) by lvxferre@mander.xyz to c/houseplants@mander.xyz

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Context: my mum got some keikis of this orchid from a neighbour. She managed to grow them into a full plant, it even flowered (as per pic), but she has no idea on which species of orchid it is.

I am not sure if it's a native species here (I'm in the subtropical parts of South America), but it seems to be growing just fine indoors in a Cfb climate.

Disregard the vase saying "phal azul" (blue phal), it used to belong to another orchid; it doesn't seem to be a Phalaenopsis.

If necessary I can provide further pics, but note that it has lost the flowers already.

Any idea?

EDIT: thanks to @jerry@fedia.io's comment, we could find it - it's a Miltoniopsis. Likely from Colombia or Ecuador, not from my area.

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[-] jerry@fedia.io 3 points 8 months ago

It looks like a Miltonia

[-] lvxferre@mander.xyz 4 points 8 months ago

Thank you!!

Thanks to your clue, we (my mum and me) could finally find it: it's a Miltoniopsis. Both genera look really similar to each other, and that one seems to be known locally as Colombian "Miltonia".

Now we're trying to dig further into the species. I'm placing my bets on Miltoniopsis phalaenopsis.

[-] jerry@fedia.io 2 points 8 months ago

It’s really beautiful, whatever it is

[-] lvxferre@mander.xyz 2 points 8 months ago

It is, indeed! I'm hoping to get better pics once it flowers again.

Finding the species was actually a big deal for this reason - raise it in conditions that trigger flowering better.

[-] jerry@fedia.io 2 points 8 months ago

Best of luck. I tried a keeping a few of those over the years without much success. Hopefully you can do better.

[-] lvxferre@mander.xyz 1 points 8 months ago

I tried a keeping a few of those over the years without much success.

I have some tips, if you want:

Native species from your area will give you an easier time. If you can't find one that you like, look for species from the same climate.
Most of them hate soil. You'll need a proper medium to grow them; it's usually a mix of tree bark, sphagnum, and sometimes charcoal (it helps to keep nutrients for slow release)
Light requirements also vary but most of them like indirect light.
Typically to water them you need to also water the leaves, so it's a good idea to use a spray bottle for that.
If you're unsure on when to water them, check when their leaves get slightly wrinkled. For me at least watering is each ~2 days now on summer, ~2 weeks on winter.
It's easier to over-water than under-water them, so do it preferably in the morning (as excess water will evaporate).
Once in a while it's a good idea to add some fertiliser to their water. Keep it really diluted otherwise it "burns" the plant. Usually I do this every 5th watering, so each ~10d on summer and ~2 months on winter.

this post was submitted on 10 Mar 2024

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