| Chiloschista usneoides is a leafless (or nearly so) epiphyte and a
member of the Vanda alliance that hails from the Himalayan foothills in
northern India and surrounding countries. Since it is essentially
a bundle of roots that perform nearly all the food-making functions for
the plant, it is best grown mounted. In its native environs, it enjoys
medium-bright light, intermediate to warm temperatures, high humidity (70%
or more), and seasonally fluctuating moisture levels. We will pick
up its annual cycle in late spring, just after blooming is finished.
This is the rainy season in its home environs, and it enjoys abundant moisture
during this time. In response to higher moisture and humidity levels,
it will actually sprout an ephemeral leaf or two and begin working on a
new set of roots. Older roots will often spring new root tips at
this time, while up to a dozen new roots get their start from the base
of the plant. At this point, it looks like like a miniaturized, very
mis-proportioned Phalaenopsis, with small Phal-like leaves at the tip of
a tiny plant situated between roots that are quite large by comparison
to the plant. It continues this cycle of growth until mid-Fall, when
it naturally experiences a cut-back on moisture levels. Cultivated
plants should be allowed to go a day (or occasionally two) between waterings
to allow them to experience this dry-down. The old bloom spikes and
the new leaf will brown and die, and the root tips will begin to go to
sleep as well. Overwinter, keep moist but not nearly as much as in
summertime.
In mid-winter to early spring, the plant will start to develop new spikes, which will grow rather slowly over winter, but begin to accelerate in early spring. At this point, moisture levels should begin to be increased to help support the new spikes. Let the roots be your guide for watering...if they begin to shrivel, increase watering and/or humidity. Be sure to keep air circulation good as well...plants shouldn't remain wet for long periods of time...rather, they should be allowed to dry down like a vanda. In mid-to-late spring, the flowers will open. They are a greenish yellow with a creamy-white, boat-shaped lip with brown spotting. They have a nice, faint fragrance in the late morning not unlike a mixture of vanilla and menthol. My plant was purchased in spike two years ago from Orchids, Limited. At that point, it had about 15 roots, and produced one spike that bloomed out into 8 or so flowers. The next year, it had doubled its root count and produced two spikes. This year, it's up to about 45 roots and has double-spiked again. Total bud count was 19 as of the last blooming. |
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