Mule Ear Oncidiums_What's up with these?

[Dallasgarden]

Hey friends,
I stumbled across a mule ear oncidium that was given to me when a friend moved out of town. I like the leaf structure and the blooms were fantastic, but I can't find a good source of information on them? How many different kind are there? Can anyone recommend a good book that describes and outlines these? Any info appreciated.

[JoeW]

1) Well, according to my Botanica's Orchids, ed. 2002, the "mule-ear" has been moved from Oncidium to Trichocentrum. Ten species are listed as well as cultivation notes. Do you have access to the book?

2) ".... the mule ears are a great group because they grow easily and put out an abundance of flowers. The group is characterized by long, rather narrow foliage shaped very much like a mule's ear. There may be a small pseudobulb at the base of the leaf as in O. splendidum, but this is the exception. Size ranges from O. pumilum with its hoard of tiny yellow flowers to O. Mem. Pepita de Restrepo with leaves over a meter in length and spikes up to 3 meters in length. Until the popularity of equitants, O. Dr. Schragen (splendidum X lanceanum), a mule ear, was the most awarded oncidium." Source: Equitant & Mule Ear Oncidums by Ed Wright

3) Ortho's All about Orchids has a small discription in the Onc. section

[e4rly]

Hi Dallasgarden,

I have 2 ear mule in my garden... I love the fragrants, its smell nice to me. I grow them in a bark mix in a shallow pots (plastic and clay pot). Hang it under a 50% shade cloth, less would be okay. I think they would grow finely as cattleya culture, as i do the same way.

Hope it helps.
erly

[Dallasgarden]

Joe,
I don't have the book Botanica's Orchids. In the Ortho's book there is a description for Oncidium triquetrum....is this another way of spelling trichocentrum?
Erly, I have many Cattleyas and my one mule ear gets the same treatment and thrives so I definitely want to find more!

[gwills]

Trichocentrum is a rather new Genus made up for those oncidiums that don't seem to fit with the others. There's been a lot of taxonomic restructuring lately and some of it is tentative. Your big Blc cattleyas are now Rsc or Rhynchosophrocattleyas depending on which Laelia was used. Anyway, I have a few mule ears and find them pretty hard to find. I grow them mounted as they definately prefer to dry out between waterings, more like Dendrobiums than Cattleyas. Good luck.
Gary