# Oerstedella centradenia



## SlipperFan (Mar 7, 2012)

I've liked this species since I first saw it a few years ago, but I never wanted one because it grew so gangly. Erich Michel said that the reason it did that was that it was probably stressed by too much light or water (too much or not enough). So I thought I'd give this one a try...


----------



## biothanasis (Mar 8, 2012)

Very beautiful flowers and nice plump roots..!!!


----------



## NYEric (Mar 8, 2012)

I like these also but have killed a couple. Did you give it more or less light? It looks like it can take plenty water. Thanks for sharing.


----------



## paphioboy (Mar 8, 2012)

Pretty! Quite fat roots for a little plant...


----------



## Erythrone (Mar 8, 2012)

Very cute blooms!


----------



## nikv (Mar 8, 2012)

Very nice. So I guess the trick to growing this species is lower light and lots of water.


----------



## SlipperFan (Mar 8, 2012)

NYEric said:


> I like these also but have killed a couple. Did you give it more or less light? It looks like it can take plenty water. Thanks for sharing.





nikv said:


> Very nice. So I guess the trick to growing this species is lower light and lots of water.



That appears to be the case -- and warmer temps. I placed mine in the lowest light area in the warmer side of my greenhouse. I hope it grows well there.


----------



## tenman (Mar 8, 2012)

Wonderful!


----------



## W. Beetus (Mar 8, 2012)

Nice looking plant!


----------



## Stone (Mar 8, 2012)

I think I need one.


----------



## John M (Mar 9, 2012)

I have always wanted one of these. I never saw one for sale when I had money to spend. Yours is beautiful, Dot and your photos are VERY nice!

I hadn't realized before; but, this species looks a lot like a Sobralia in it's flower form and growth habit. I wonder?????....is it related? Does anyone know if it will cross with a Sobralia? Could make some interesting miniaturized hybrids with lots of flowers.


----------



## SlipperFan (Mar 9, 2012)

Hmmm -- I thought they looked more like Habenaria.


----------



## John M (Mar 9, 2012)

I agree that the flowers have a habenaria-like shape; but, the growth habit is wrong. Habenarias have a rosette of leaves with a flower stem rising from the middle. Sobralias have large, fleshy root systems with thin, leafy stems and the flowers at the top. There is no rosette of leaves at the bottom; the leaves are all the way up the stem alternating from side to side. This plant in your photo would look just like a Sobralia seedling if it was not in bloom. Plus, the flowers are not that far off from Sobralia-shaped bloom, either. They don't look quite like the typical "Cattleya-like" flowers of a Sobralia; but, it's not a Sobralia....I'm just wondering if it's related. Where does this species grow in nature? Is it South American?


----------



## SlipperFan (Mar 9, 2012)

You're right -- I was looking at the flower, not the plant.

This species comes from Central America. Here's what Jay says about it:
"Native to Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama in wet lower montane evergreen to semi-deciduous forests from elevations of 1200 to 1500 meters in full to partial sun as a small to medium sized, warm to hot growing orchid with delicate stems that can produce plantlets all along up and down with linear-lanceolate, shiny leaves that has a wet, dry growing pattern that require high humidity and water throughout the year but less when mature and will bloom on a terminal, few to many flowered inflorescence occuring in the late winter, spring and early summer. It can be easily found in fruit trees near habitation"

Jay says Sobralia are from Central to S. America.

It might be interesting to cross these two genuses -- the Sobralias I've seen are huge plants, and this Oerstedella is quite small. Same is true with the flowers, at least the ones I've seen.

But aren't Sobralia flowers very short lived? I wouldn't like that in a hybrid.


----------



## PaphMadMan (Mar 9, 2012)

Lovely graceful plant, but be aware that in low humidity conditions every spider mite within a hundred miles will find your plant within a week.

Oerstedella is a Cattleya alliance genus, sometimes considered as Epidendrum, and quite a few crosses have been made with Cattleya alliance plants. If you really have nothing else to do you could try a cross with Sobralia, but it just isn't going to happen, or we would already be very familiar with Sobrocattleya, Episobralia, etc.


----------



## John M (Mar 9, 2012)

PaphMadMan said:


> Oerstedella is a Cattleya alliance genus, sometimes considered as Epidendrum, and quite a few crosses have been made with Cattleya alliance plants. If you really have nothing else to do you could try a cross with Sobralia, but it just isn't going to happen, or we would already be very familiar with Sobrocattleya, Episobralia, etc.



Related to Cattleya? Wow, I didn't expect that; but, I can see how it is close to Epidendrum, which is in the Cattleya alliance. So, what is a cross between Oerstedella x Cattleya called? I'd like to google some of these hybrids you say are out there.


----------



## SlipperFan (Mar 10, 2012)

PaphMadMan said:


> Lovely graceful plant, but be aware that in low humidity conditions every spider mite within a hundred miles will find your plant within a week.
> ...



Thanks for the tip. Luckily, I don't have low humidity conditions now, but I'll still be on the look-out.


----------



## SlipperFan (Mar 10, 2012)

John M said:


> Related to Cattleya? Wow, I didn't expect that; but, I can see how it is close to Epidendrum, which is in the Cattleya alliance. So, what is a cross between Oerstedella x Cattleya called? I'd like to google some of these hybrids you say are out there.



Epierstedella (Erd.) = [Epidendrum x Oerstedella]
Hackerara (Hkr.) = [Cattleya x Epidendrum x Laelia x Oerstedella x Sophronitis]
Oerstedkeria (Ork.) = [Barkeria x Oerstedella]
Oerstelaelia (Osl.) = [Laelia x Oerstedella]
Oerstonia (Oer.) = [Broughtonia x Oerstedella]
Rafinesqueara (Raf.) = [Cattleya x Epidendrum x Laelia x Oerstedella]

Interesting, there seems to be not Cattleya x Oerstedella. Make one, John...


----------



## John M (Mar 10, 2012)

SlipperFan said:


> Interesting, there seems to be not Cattleya x Oerstedella. Make one, John...



Thanks for the info, Dot. I'd love to make the cross with Cattleya; but, I need Oerstedella pollen. oke::wink: I've got some Cattleya intermedias in bloom as well as Cattleya walkeriana coerulea and alba. What do you think?


----------



## SlipperFan (Mar 10, 2012)

John M said:


> Thanks for the info, Dot. I'd love to make the cross with Cattleya; but, I need Oerstedella pollen. oke::wink: I've got some Cattleya intermedias in bloom as well as Cattleya walkeriana coerulea and alba. What do you think?



I can send you pollen… email me.


----------



## paphioboy (Mar 11, 2012)

I agree with Kirk. Oerstedella is related to the reed-stem epidendrums. One article I read suggests growing them like the reed-stems; full sun, rock as media.


----------



## PaphMadMan (Mar 11, 2012)

John M said:


> Related to Cattleya? Wow, I didn't expect that; but, I can see how it is close to Epidendrum, which is in the Cattleya alliance. So, what is a cross between Oerstedella x Cattleya called? I'd like to google some of these hybrids you say are out there.



Oerstedella species are currently treated as Epidendrum for hybrid registration, so searching hybrids is not as simple as it could be. The Oerstedella species involved in most hybrids are (Epi.) wallisii, pseudowallisii, schumannianum. pseudoschumanninum, endresii, verrucosum, myrianthum and schweinfurthianum. No hybrids registered for Oe. centradenia (now Oe. centropetala).

Most of the Oerstedella hybrids are with Epidendrum species and hybrids including lots within Oerstedella. Really only a handful of crosses with other Cattleya alliance types. Look for Bardendrum Morenita and Bard. Early Bird (with Barkeria skinneri), Epicattleya Heatonensis (with C. (L.) cinnabarina), Epicyclia Highland Mist, Epy. Snow Crystal, Epy. Zamorana and Epy. Las Cruces (all combinations including E. adenocaula), Epiarthron Gold Star (with Cau. bicornutum), and Epitonia Robert Wilson (with Broughtonia sanguinea). There may be others.


----------



## SlipperFan (Mar 11, 2012)

PaphMadMan said:


> ... Oe. centradenia (now Oe. centropetala)….


Oh,* noooooooooooo!!!
*


----------

