Rossioglossum
(pronounced: ross-ee-oh-GLOS-sum)
Classification
Maxillarieae subtribe Oncidiinae
Etymology
Named for John Ross, an early collector of orchids in Mexico.
Distribution
Six species ranging from Mexico to Panama, previously included in a broadly defined Odontoglossum Kunth as Odontoglossum section Grandia Pfitzer, Odontoglossum section Rossiorchis Kuntze, or Odontoglossum section Rossioglossum Schlechter.
Care and Culture Card
See basic growing conditions and care information below.
Grow Rossioglossum in pots with medium-grade epiphyte mixture. Provide full light and cool temperatures. Water regularly during active growth. After the pseudobulbs mature reduce watering. The plants require a cool, very dry winter rest period. Resume normal watering only after the emergence of new growths. Plants of Rossioglossum do not respond well to root disturbance and respond best when repotted in only slightly larger pots that allow for only one years new growth. Yearly repotting after the emergence of new growths, removing old roots and potting material from the back of the plant while taking care not to disturb the root system of the previous season’s growth, reduces repotting shock to the plants.
Literature
Garay, L. A. and G. Kennedy 1976. The genus Rossioglossum. Orchid Digest 40:139-143. Lückel, E. 1993. Ein bemerkenswerter Fall aus der Arbeit der Bestimmungszentrale: Rossioglossum williamsianum und die verhinderte Hybriden-Registrierung. Die Orchidee 44(1):1-5.
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