Doritis pulcherima variety

[Rick]

A ways back we saw pics and had a discussion over a compact pulcherima var. (laotica).

NYEric gave me this stubborn plant from Orchidview labeled pulcherima Southport FCC/AOS to bloom out. It finally did.



Not sure if it really matches up to var. laotica, but it is compact with lots of purple leaf speckling/spotting.

 

[Lmpgs]

Very nice, I have a doritis pulcherrima blue lip x appendiculata which is stubborn as well. 3 years and no bloom so far.

 

[NYEric]

NIce. That plant is a bear!

 

[gnathaniel]

Nice one! I love this species.

 

[abax]

Very pretty bloom and an impressive plant. Why is Doritis such a damn
stubborn plant is what I'd like to know? I have five of them, all different,
and all very stubborn. They grow well and have great roots, but won't
bloom. I can bloom Doritis Phal. crosses. Do they need lower night
temps?

 

[paphioboy]

Very pretty bloom and an impressive plant. Why is Doritis such a damn
stubborn plant is what I'd like to know? I have five of them, all different,
and all very stubborn. They grow well and have great roots, but won't
bloom. I can bloom Doritis Phal. crosses. Do they need lower night
temps?

Bright sun, even direct. Give 'excessive' drainage and aeration. Roots should be thick and numerous.

 

[NYEric]

I grew that plant in full sun. I think I hate it; the feeling must have been mutual!

 

[SlipperFan]

I'll have to move mine to a different part of the greenhouse and see what happens.

 

[Rick]

I'll have to move mine to a different part of the greenhouse and see what happens.

That might do it.

I think it was Paphioboy that linked to some insitu pics a ways back. I think it was in north Thailand and they were growing/blooming on limestone slabs out in full sun. But I've also come across a few pics in a fair amount of shade. And I've seen bunches of blooming pulcherrima at a friends GH that's pretty dark compared to mine.

If you have a good Catt-Vanda spot try that.

 

[naoki]

Very nice. It looks more compact than the typical ones, but the one which Olaf posted look even smaller? I wasn't sure what was the other distinguishing character of that Laos variety.

It is interesting to hear that some clones are stubborn to flower. It is probably clonal differences, but my couple clones (not the Laos variety) flower freely (some of them are probably flowering twice a year) with very dim light (under 9.5W warm white Cree Household LED from Home Depot). They do etiolate a little bit, and the plant became big, floppy, and not nice-looking, so I increased the light this year (to about 70-100 micromoles/m^2/s).

 

[paphioboy]

It is interesting to hear that some clones are stubborn to flower.

It is true. At local nurseries here which I often visit, they have benches of Doritis, from different sources I suspect. Some look from the same vegetatively, but only several will be flowering/have flowered. Some do not show any old spikes, just get taller. There is a pale but large-flowered variety on very tall spikes which appears to flower seasonally. The leaves are tinged heavily with purple.

 

[Geek_it]

Very nice, I have a doritis pulcherrima blue lip x appendiculata which is stubborn as well. 3 years and no bloom so far.

Have you tried upping the light to catt lighting?