erycina-echinata

A representative of a tiny ,delicate species that any orchid lover would certainly like to possess.How ever there is one important catch -both of the known Erycina species are very hard to cultivate . The tiny ,almost ball-shaped ,bifoliate pseudobulbs are transparent and protected from sunshine by dry cases. The plants bloom after shedding all foliage during the peak dry season . The sulfer -yellow flowers with complex morphology and a big lip suggest the plants relation to the genus Oncidium and are visible from a distancce,inspite of their small proportions (only 0.8 in /2 cm across); they grow in small racemes out of the basis of the pseudobulbs . Their high cultivation requirements are caused by their habitat -cool regions of the Mexican mountains . In order to develop well in culture ,Erycina orchids have demands that are hard to meet : intensive sunshine ,fresh air and cool temperatures throughout the year . Cultivation rules are the same as those of E.citrinum,except that , owing to its minute proportions,E.echinata is more sensitive to cultivation errors. It blooms between March and May and was discovered in Oaxaca , Mexico.