Flasks of Sophronitis mantiqueirae 'MC2081' × self

Culture Notes from Donor: Should only be grown mounted on cork with sphagnum moss--it will sulk in a pot. Prefers cool temperatures and high light. Appreciates high humidity and high air movement.
Parent plant: Temperature range CI (58-75°F). VERY temperature tolerant. Very intolerant of dissolved salts in water.

Comments: Blooms dwarf the plant and are scarlet red in coloration; they look very much like those of S. coccinea. Not too difficult; same basic culture as S. coccinea. This species was once considered a sub-species of S. coccinea.

Parent plant: The plant has 34 total growths and 4 flowers. Even so, it fits nicely on a 3x3 inch mount. Each growth is about an inch high. Flower shape is the best that I have ever seen. Flower span is a bit over 2 inches across the petals. Surprisingly easy to grow. Miniature.

For additional origin/habitat information supplied courtesy of Charles and Margaret Baker, see further below, near the bottom of this page.

Temperatures we attempt to use in the lab & greenhouse:

For Species:		Spring, Summer, Autumn: days average 74°F, nights 57°F; best fit is Cool-Intermediate 75-58°F (Source: Baker's Web OSC)
For Species:		Winter: days average 65°F, nights 43°F; best fit is Cool-Cold 64-44°F (Source: Baker's Web OSC)

About the name...

Etymology of	mantiqueirae	Means "from Serra de Mantiqueira" the orchid-rich mountain range in the state of Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais in Brazil. (Source: Mayr & Schmucker 1998)
Etymology of	sophronitis	From latinized Greek "sophros" modest. (Source: Mayr & Schmucker 1998)
Pronunciation of	sophronitis	sof-row-NYE-tis (Source: Hawkes 1978)

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Flask Information
Availability:	We had yield problems with this item, so we didn't continue flasking it.
You should:	Consider placing a "Notify Retries" Request, and if an identical pollination (the same parents) is done again, we'll let you know.
You might also want to:	View the seed assay for this item. View items of the same species. View items of the same genus.

The origin/habitat information below is supplied courtesy of Charles and Margaret Baker

The following information is based on the name of the plant provided by the donor, and assumes that the name is correct. If the plant has been misidentified, then the following information may not be correct.
This text is copyrighted by the Bakers and may not be reproduced without permission.

ORIGIN/HABITAT: Brazil. Plants grow in the states of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, where they are found in the mountain range known as the Serra da Mantiqueira. These mountains lie behind and up to 50 miles (80 km) further inland than the coastal range known as Serra do Mar. Where the crests of the Serra da Mantiqueira rise to at least 5000 ft. (1520 m), forests of both hardwood trees and relatives of pine trees are found on both sides of the ridge crests. As moisture laden air is lifted over these crests, the moisture condenses and is deposited as rain and mist on the windward side of the range and to a lesser extent on the leeward slopes. In addition, there are creek gulch forests, which are permanent forests of hardwoods in deep gulches behind the ridges where heavy runoff has carved deep ravines. Moisture from the permanent creeks and water seepages within these ravines sustain the same type forests as found along the ridges. Duveen (1977) reported a colony of these orchids growing in the same type of habitat in the Organ Mountains near Petropolis. Plants were at about 4000 ft. (1220 m) close to the crests of ridges on slopes facing the Atlantic ocean. Hadrolaelia (Sophronitis) mantiqueirae grows in cool, misty, humid conditions on lichen covered trees within a few hundred feet of either side of the ridge crests and on moss-shrouded trees in the creek gulches. Collections have been reported from 4000–6200 ft. (1220–1890 m) but plants seem to be more common at about 5000 ft. (1520 m).
More about this information and the Bakers...