Bloom Event - Eulophia guineensis x (guineensis x euglossa)

What a mouthful. I know all these Latin names can seem like a bit of a pain to try and get one's tongue around, but it does avoid a whole lot of the confusion one encounters while using common names. That said, I'd like to add another layer of complexity now; and of course, we have the taxonomists to blame yet again for name changes. The original label for this reads Eulophia quartiniana x (quartiniana x euglossa). Having done some research, it seems that E. quartiniana is just a synonym for Eulophia guineensis so this isn't quite such an outlandish hybrid as I thought it was. I already have two Eulophia guineensis in my collection. They are from two separate sources and one came labelled as Eulophia quartiniana x guineensis so I'll be interested to see whether they are the same when they bloom (watch this space; both plants are in spike).

Unusually in my orchid collection, Eulophia are terrestrial orchids (no, I don't mean the rest are extra-terrestrial though I think there is probably a market for Martian orchids, and some of these dyed ones certainly look like they are from another planet), meaning they grow in the ground like a 'normal' plant does. They hail from Africa and the Middle East (at least the parents of this hybrid) grow in the seasonally very dry areas. There aren't many orchids from these areas in cultivation, which is a shame because they seem easy growers.

The flower looks rather like Eulophia guineensis which is no surprise as it is 3/4 guineensis. The E. euglossa in it seems to have made the pseudobulbs spindle shaped rather than short and squat like the straight guineensis and also lengthen the flower spike as well as increasing the flower count. There are at least 15 flowers on the spike, and they are opening gradually. I am hoping they will hold long enough for the entire spike to be in bloom at the same time. The flowers are smaller than the straight guineensis and the lip is a slightly different shape, but that characteristic 'crown' of the remaining petals and sepals remains, and that is one of the things I love about Eulophia guineensis and its hybrids. 

The side view shows the nectar spur at the back of the lip. My dedicated readers will remember that I keep complaining that modern hybrids of many genera are being bred to be too flat and 2-dimensional. I love to see nectar spurs and oddly shaped petals and sepals. Its what gives orchids their personality and mystiquie. So if you're a breeder and you're reading this....stop it. There, I've said it.

Now, having said that these plants are easy to grow, I should add a few caveats. Firstly, the blooming can be somewhat irregular. While the flower spikes always seem to emerge from new growth while it is still quite young (think Zygopetalum), the plants don't seem inclined to bloom every year. Out of the five plants I still have (not counting sprouting backbulbs I've yet to pot up), only one of them has put out a flower spike. I have had these plants for just over a year now, from (shock) a German nursery, and the plants were just showing new growth and flower spikes when I got them. Most of the flower spikes aborted almost immediately (I can't say I blame them after such a long journey), and only one managed to produce buds. Imagine my consternation when the buds grew to opening size and then dropped off one by one. I didn't see one flower last year. I'm glad to see a blooming plant this year. 

The second caveat is that these plants must be kept absolutely dry during the winter. Just like Catasetums, they have very pronounced  growing and resting seasons. Leaves will naturally yellow and fall during autumn, and the plants will be absolutely dormant during winter. Keeping them warm or cool doesn't seem to make any difference. I kept them warm. Don't worry if they shrivel slightly, they are very robust. I don't water until new growth starts to emerge in late winter.

The third caveat is that the soft foliage they produce makes the plants a target for red spider mite. This doesn't seem to weaken the plants too much, but it is better to try to keep them pest free if possible (I refer new readers to my post regarding Iwanagaara apple blossom in which I talk about my pest control methods).

As you can see, the plants bloom while new growth is quite young. I have this plant potted in my standard houseplant mix, as it is a terrestrial. I'm tempted to say that the reason for the sporadic blooming of Eulophia is due to the plants being disturbed as I repotted, but I simply don't think this is true. I have repotted both of my Eulophia guineensis in the last year and both of those have put out spikes. As you can see, the plants need quite large pots to accommodate both the pseudobulbs and the robust root system. The roots are very thick and white (and very brittle so beware when potting) which quite belies their need for a terrestrial mix. In fact, it doesn't seem to matter very much what they are grown in provided it is well drained.

I have several spare plants of this cross which I would be happy to part with for money/plants. If you're in the UK and fancy one, make me an offer I can't refuse!