The coconut scented Maxillaria tenuifolia

[pheli]

They are pretty.
I also like the agreeable odor.

[peeweelovesbooks]

So what is the best potting mix for this little beauty? I'm seriously thinking of acquiring one. I live in South Florida. Thanks for your replies.

[kiki-do]

Hi Mauro! This is one orchid I won't own. It's beautiful, I love the color, but coconut is my absolute weakness. I'd eat it up! Yup yup....not a pretty thought.
Whew....now I know there is one orchid in this world that I won't own. I feel so..... liberated. Hey, any orchids out there that smell like a fine wine? Seriously, though, it's a beauty! You have a wonderful collection! kiki-do

[mkubota]

Hope I'm doing this right. It's my first post to your board. Glad I found you.

I've had this Maxillaria for about 4 years. It's getting way overgrown. How do I divide this thing? It grows in such a weird way.



And in answer to a question about lack of flowering, I've had mine in a southfacing frosted window with a 3 ft. grow light during cold weather. It lives outside under a covered eastfacing porch in summer. It blooms for me a couple of times every year. Deeee-licious!

[Rosim_in_BR]

Mitzi, the photo you posted is not showing up, so it is difficult to answer your question. Are you talking about Maxillaria tenuifolia or some other species?

[mkubota]

Originally Posted by Rosim_in_BR

Mitzi, the photo you posted is not showing up, so it is difficult to answer your question. Are you talking about Maxillaria tenuifolia or some other species?

Drat! I knew I was going to have problems figuring out how to get the picture uploaded.

Yes, it's M. tenufolia. Here's a link to the picture: Maxillaria on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

I'll get the hang of this!

[Rosim_in_BR]

Originally Posted by mkubota

Drat! I knew I was going to have problems figuring out how to get the picture uploaded.

Yes, it's M. tenufolia. Here's a link to the picture: Maxillaria on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

I'll get the hang of this!

Right, Max. tenuifolia has somewhat strange growing habit, but it is not alone in the orchid world. It grows both horizontally and vertically, producing kind of heaps of pseudo bulbs. So, it is possible to divide it both ways, the key being the presence of roots. The horizontal division is made like any other orchid, in this case simply cutting a bunch of heaps apart. I never divided mine vertically, but I know people that do this kind of division. In this case, you need to look for where on the heap there are pseudo bulbs with roots and then make the cut below that point. Hope this helps you deciding what to do with your plant, but it doesn't look that large to me. If I can be of any further help, just let me know.

[mkubota]

I'll take a look for roots on the pseudobulbs. The whole top-heavy mass of the plant is growing from one central stalk. I'm worried that part of it will break off and damage the entire plant.

Thanks for the advice.

[thakshila smith]

Mauro :- pic is beautiful. thanks .In which part of Brazil do you live? itsa large contry I know. You can grow lots of flowers.

[Rosim_in_BR]

Originally Posted by thakshila smith

Mauro :- pic is beautiful. thanks .In which part of Brazil do you live? itsa large contry I know. You can grow lots of flowers.

Hi, Thakshila! Yes, Brazil is a big country. I live in the southeast region, near the Atlantic Ocean, in São Paulo City (more precisely in Santo André, a satellite city). A reference on the globe is the tropic of Capricorn.