About the Finn in the other end of the cable

Thursday, August 02, 2012

Focusing on epiphytic Utricularia

Epiphytic Utricularia are plants that I have gathered most during this spring. Before this spring and summer I cultivated only U. alpina, reniformis and nephrophylla. Later I got U. nelumbifolia, alpina x humboldtii, alpina x endresii and nelumbifolia x reniformis which I think are quite easy plants to grow. I also bought some seeds of U. apslundii which germinated and I will soon post a pic of the babies. Photobucket Here is my collection of epiphytic Utricularia. Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket U. nephrophylla from Serra dos Orgaos blooms regularly in my conditions and is very heat tolerant. Photobucket U. nelumbifolia from Serra do Brigadeiro is a vigorous grower when I keep the water level near the soil level Photobucket Photobucket U. reniformis lost some of it's leaves when I took the plant outdoors. The leaves are a bit stronger now and there are already signs of increased growth thanks to higher light levels. Photobucket Photobucket By the first look U. alpina x endresii looks dead but underground tubers have not rotted. I still have high hopes on this plant. Photobucket Photobucket When U. nelumbifolia x reniformis arrived it had only one leaf which decayed short after it's arrival but after that plant showed it's hybrid vigor and is maybe the fastest growing of my epiphytes. The biggest leaf has some kind of hydrofobic surface which allows the waterdrops ro roll over the leaf. This is kinda weird characteristic which I have not seen on any carnivorous plant before. Photobucket Photobucket U. alpina x humboldtii looks first like it has done nothing since it arrived but after a long wait if finally started growing a new leaf. Photobucket U. alpina didn't like it when I took it off the pot just to see it's "roots". I then repotted it to new sphagnum moss. Now the plant is growing new leaves again and hopefully I will see some flowers when the weather gets colder.

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