mrhappyrotter
Grand Chupacabra
The first word that comes to mind when I think of this species is ADORABLE. It had been sitting on my wish list for quite some time, and this year, I finally acquired a couple of them.
I can't give a ton of first hand advice on growing them, other than I feed them much less than I feed my other phrags, which is already less than I feed other genera. I also keep them closer to the bulbs to provide higher light. These like/need to stay wet (and thus warm), though I already grow most of my phrags that way. Tom (Fox Valley) was telling me that these would sometimes turn up in the tropical aquarium plant trade, and even in nature, they are often found submerged in water for part of the year. So, that should be a clue at how much water they like.
These phrags are small. Were my hand made of a suitable substrate and constantly bathed in water, a whole colony could grow on it. They grow a little on the slow side, and the root systems don't appear to be quite as massive as other species. The leaves are very stiff, reminiscent of Neofinetia, perhaps. This first bloom will probably only have 1 or 2 flowers. The slightly nodding flower is proportionally large compared to the size of the foliage. The sepals and lateral petals are pink/purple tinted, with purple veining. The lip is quite uniquely shaped.
In summary, this is a pretty amazing, miniature phrag. If you like small growers, this species and its hybrids should be in your collection.
I can't give a ton of first hand advice on growing them, other than I feed them much less than I feed my other phrags, which is already less than I feed other genera. I also keep them closer to the bulbs to provide higher light. These like/need to stay wet (and thus warm), though I already grow most of my phrags that way. Tom (Fox Valley) was telling me that these would sometimes turn up in the tropical aquarium plant trade, and even in nature, they are often found submerged in water for part of the year. So, that should be a clue at how much water they like.
These phrags are small. Were my hand made of a suitable substrate and constantly bathed in water, a whole colony could grow on it. They grow a little on the slow side, and the root systems don't appear to be quite as massive as other species. The leaves are very stiff, reminiscent of Neofinetia, perhaps. This first bloom will probably only have 1 or 2 flowers. The slightly nodding flower is proportionally large compared to the size of the foliage. The sepals and lateral petals are pink/purple tinted, with purple veining. The lip is quite uniquely shaped.
In summary, this is a pretty amazing, miniature phrag. If you like small growers, this species and its hybrids should be in your collection.
