Phrag ecuadorence 'Si'

[SlipperKing]

I got a small division of this clone back in 2009. It has been a tough plant to bloom. Only once has it bloomed with more than one spike and was probably 2010. Angela and I have discussed this clone in the past of giving up and moving on. Now, thirteen years later I think I found the secret to blooming it.
From this top view it looks pretty ugly. That's because it has been sun bleached! Last fall and all winter I gave it no shading except for what the old plastic greenhouse provided.

I have 4 spikes currently open and I have found another 5 hiding among the leaves.

 

[tomkalina]

Very nice, Rick! Good job of growing.

 

[Djthomp28]

Well it sounds like you have found the method that works. Nine spikes will be amazing.

 

[SlipperKing]

Update: eleven total spikes found and staked.


Closeup



Then I tried to get a shot next to my pearci blooming. The pearci is a touch larger and the leaves are a bit wider. The splitters will this

 

[awesomei]

Beautiful!

 

[ORG]

Congratulations for your culture. But the plant is a typical Phrag. pearcei. The name ecuadorense is only a synonym. You will not find any differences between ths o described ecuadorense and the typical pearce in the description. The name was used sometimes for good clones of pearcei but also sometimes for Phrag. richteri. So the first so named ecuadorense hybrids were made with richteri. Here the sketch of the so named ecuadorense 1978 in Flora of Ecuador Cypripedioideae described by Leslie A Garay .

 

[SlipperKing]

I know Olaf. Its just fun stuff to post to give you Taxos something to talk about!

 

[FrankRC]

So you figured out what natural populations have been telling us, but we haven’t been paying attention. Pearcei, which this is, likes brighter light. Congratulations on a getting all those spikes at once! Pearcei is tricky to bloom.

 

[SlipperKing]

Thanks Frank.
We've been reading your Phrag publication in the Slipper Alliance all week as we made are way to Redlands!

 

[FrankRC]

The culture article is in the Orchid Digest, year end special edition, 2020.

 

[troy]

When mine was specimen size a little smaller than yours, it would flower all year, these are so hearty and floriferous, I miss mine, thx for posting

 

[SlipperKing]

The culture article is in the Orchid Digest, year end special edition, 2020.

Yes Frank that is the one. Interesting most species are associated with granite rather then limestone.

 

[NYEric]

That doesn't look like pearcei foliage, though.