This orchid is blooming for me again, with three spikes in bloom. She's growing in a wooden hanging basket, potted completely in sphagnum moss and gets about one to two hours of direct sunlight followed by very shaded sunlight the rest of the day. I water when the moss is dry to the touch, fertilize every other week lightly since moss holds onto minerals and salts better than other potting mediums. I've had great results in the sphagnum for the Oncidiinae Subtribe orchids I grow in baskets.Currently the Royal Horticultural Society, responsible for the orchid classification system used worldwide, has this classified as an Oncidium. It is, however, sometimes called Miltonidium Rosy Sunset, as this orchid's parentage includes a plant that has been named as both Miltonia warscewiczii or Oncidium fuscatum.
I was told it was fragrant, but didn't pick up any the first time it bloomed for me. This time around, I have to say it smells very sweet in the morning; like a floral, spicy vanilla. It is not as strongly scented later in the day or at night. The vanilla scent makes sense, as one of the parents of this orchid is the highly scented Oncidium ornithorhynchum. The second picture includes a better look at the basket, the plant and the three spikes.
2 comments:
Nice post, Derek! Again I am impressed with your success, as you feature a nice looking, healthy Orchid in bloom. You have quite a solid horticulture skill and sound knowledge of the Oncidium Alliance! I appreciate your inclusion over the synonymy between Miltonia warscewiczii and Oncidium fuscatum.
Struck my the note on the classification of Oncidium (Miltonidium) Rosy Sunset, I did some research . . . . From what I can discern, you have chosen insightfully to "label" this plant as Oncidium Rosy Sunset rather than Miltonidium Rosy Sunset. To be certain, I know you did your research here with regard the listing by the RHS. . . . I thought, moreover, I would check out a few more resources after reading your post. Here is what I uncovered . . . .
What I examined directly concerned your question regarding the parentage of Oncidium Rosy Sunset. Namely I looked briefly at and focused upon whether Miltonia warscewiczii or Oncidium fuscatum was today considered the accepted species name for the taxon.
Based on referencing two sources, it appears that Oncidium fuscatum is currently the accepted name:
(1) Baker, Orchid Species Culture: Oncidium/Odontoglossum Alliance (2006). The synonymy between Miltonia warscewiczii and Oncidium fuscatum is, indeed, reported. Yet, Baker (2006) seems to upholds Oncidium fuscatum over Miltonia warscewiczii. Oncidium fuscatum is, therefore, described as a valid species, whereas Miltonia warscewiczii is only accounted for as a synonym.
(2) The Missouri Botanical Garden's (MBG) Tropicos Online Database (www.tropicos.org). Here, again, the synonymy between Miltonia warscewiczii and Oncidium fuscatum is reported. The MBG Tropicos listing provides a clear suggestion that Oncidium fuscatum is preferred over Miltonia warscewiczii, if I am reading correctly.
Both are described by the botanist Reichenbach f. Tropicos accounts for the description Oncidium fuscatum Rchb. f. in 1863 within Annales Botanices Systematicae. It states that Oncidium fuscatum replaced the publication of Miltonia warscewiczii Rchb. f in 1856 within Xenia Orchidacea.
The origin of the synonymous Miltonia warscewiczii appears to be with a plant collector for Lindley who went by the collector name "Warscewicz." Apparently, if I am reading the listing correctly, the type-specimen was collected in February 1830.
The MBG Tropicos Online Database and Baker (2006) also make note of another synonym for Oncidium fuscatum Rchb f. 1863 and Miltonia warscewiczii Rchb. f. 1956 by noting Chamaeleorchis warscewiczii (Rchb f.) Senghas & Lueckel. This description is published in 1997.
Neither source suggests, however, whether or not this new description has gained wide acceptance. That is to say, both sources maintain Oncidium fuscatum Rchb. f. while merely indicating that Chamaeleorchis warscewiczii (Rchb. f.) Senghas & Lueckel 1997 is a species name in publication.
For these reason, it seems that Oncidium Rosy Sunset is a better genus name for the hybrid than Miltonidium. It seems that the Miltonia has been taken out of the cross, in other words!
TDW
Interesting research Tim. It seems Chamaeleorchis warscewiczii is the only species that Senghas & Lueckel moved into their Chamaeleorchis genus. The genus has not, however, been accepted it seems. I wonder their reasoning for attempting to create a new genus, especially a genus with only one species.
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