Oncidium ornithorhynchum - pink angels from Mexico

Looking like little pink multi-winged angels in flight, Oncidium ornithorhynchum flowers are one of the minority of Oncidiums with a strong scent...this scent is imparted in part to one of its most famous progeny, Oncidium Sharry Baby. Onc. ornithorhynchum scent smells strongly of cinnamon mixed with a hint of vanilla in the morning, becoming more of a vanilla mixed with baby powder with a hint of cinnamon during the afternoon.

This species hails from the mountains of Mexico down into Columbia, growing at moderate elevations (up to 1500 meters). It tends to like intermediate-warm temperatures. Mine is grown in my int-warm wardian case under medium-bright light with ample watering and occasional fertilizer. It produces two to four spikes per pseudobulb and often produces more than one new pseudobulb per older growth. The pseudobulbs themselves are oval in shape, ranging in diameter from a US quarter to a US silver dollar size. It is topped with one to two leaves with up to six leaves sheathing the bulb's base.

<img src=http://www.premdesign.com/orchidpics/oncidium_ornithorhynchum.jpg>

Enjoy!

---Prem

That's really pretty. I hope you don't get sick of the blooms.

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*~Jennifer~*

oh, I never get sick of these blooms...I sometimes take them for granted, because, with the size of my plant now, I'm almost always seeing flowers.

---Prem

Wow--the color and texture remind me of pink satin. Are the flowers about the size of a dime, or smaller?

That *is* really pretty....

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Louis J. Aszod

The flowers are about 3/4 of an inch (2 cm) tall, so they're not tiny, but neither are they big.

---Prem

nice! no hints of chocolate from ornitho?

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Jason

well, one of the chief flavoring components of chocolate is vanilla...so that's the main element that ornithorhynchum imparts to its famous offspring.

---Prem

wow...just realized that the present mature growth on this plant has four spikes (Jay Pfahl lists a max of two per growth...of course, that's probably from his own personal experience growing his plant in Key West). Three more growths are maturing and should spike within a month....that's another 8 to 16 spikes!

I really love this plant!

---Prem

Hi everyone! I'm new here and hoping that you would kindly give me some advice on my orchid. I was recently given an orchid (Colmanara wildcat) and I am desperate to find some useful piece of information on how to take care of it. I've been reading a lot about this kind of flower but stil... I seem to be lost!
The orchid has blossoms and sits in a transitory pot (the one I was given). I placed it in my bedroom (22 Celsius degrees) that is a sunny room (not direct sunlight) and aired every day at least twice or thrice.
How often should I water it? Is that place the right one? When do I repot it?
I am attaching some pictures, in case it might help.

Attached Images