# Mexipedium xerophyticum habitat & culture



## SlipperFan (Nov 11, 2013)

I found the following in _Lankesteriana_(in Spanish) and used Google Translate for the translation. I thought it would be of interest here. Parenthesis at the end are mine:

The habitat of this species is a rocky karst less than two hectares in size, which makes of Mexipedium the only "Phragmipedium" growing in limestone (Anonymous, 2009a). In this stony, arborescent plants grow in stature as Beaucarnea sanctomariana, Bursera simaruba, Plumeria rubra and Pseudobombax ellipticum also thrive in this environment. Plants of the genera Agave, Acanthocereus, Begonia, Catopsis, Peperomia, Phylodendrum, Pitcairnia, Selaginella, Tillandsia, various ferns and some other unidentified orchids as Bletia sp., Cyrtopodium macrobulbon and Encyclia cf. parviflora. While vegetation Mexipedium microhabitat can be classified as desert scrub, is actually rock vegetation embedded in a matrix of forest high evergreen.
...

It is noteworthy that the calcareous outcrops Isthmus of Tehuantepec home to numerous species endemic, as Beaucarnea sanctomariana L. Hernandez (Hernandez-Sandoval, 2001), Agave Guiengola Gentry (Torres - Colin, 1989) and several more in Nizanda region (Pérez- García and Meave, 2004). With this information we can conclude that these rocky places ancient environments that have allowed the diversification of a very special flora. So far all the plants of M. xerophyticum that have been found are located on vertical rock walls with a northern exposure. Because latitude at which this species is found during a part of the year, these plants do not receive direct sunlight, but this situation changes substantially during the rainy season (concentrated in the summer; see Gallardo et al., 2009). Perhaps for this reason, this species has adapted both to capture light in the sheets (Sandoval et al., 2003) and morphology very xerophytic. (=a plant that needs very little water.)


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## JeanLux (Nov 12, 2013)

Thanks Dot!!!! This can be helpful to make my new aquisit. survive  !!!! Jean


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## NYEric (Nov 12, 2013)

Thanks for sharing.


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## Chicago Chad (Nov 12, 2013)

Thanks. Hopefully I can put it to use sometime.


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## cnycharles (Nov 12, 2013)

To add, pretty sure where they grow on a bank, there is water trickling through the area which would make sense since these like damp; fresh water through the media but with good aeration (frequent watering but with quick 'drying')


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## eaborne (Nov 12, 2013)

Great idea posting it here!


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## SlipperFan (Nov 12, 2013)

cnycharles said:


> To add, pretty sure where they grow on a bank, there is water trickling through the area which would make sense since these like damp; fresh water through the media but with good aeration (frequent watering but with quick 'drying')
> ...


But that's one of the things that surprised me -- the article didn't say anything about water trickling constantly through the roots. In fact, as my note stated, 
my dictionary said xerophytic. =a plant that needs very little water. I almost killed my plant by treating it like a Phrag. This article kind of verified my own experience with this species.


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