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Oberonia cavalerei or myosura

Discussion in 'Orchid Species' started by Marni, Jul 10, 2013.

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  1. Jul 10, 2013 #1
    Marni

    Marni Well-Known Member Staff Member Supporting Member

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    To say that I am confused about oberonia identification would be a gross understatement. This plant is frequently found in the trade as O. myosura (and other similar names) but I am told it is cavalerei. I have a small monograph on the oberonias of India, but it doesn't include O. cavalerei. It is from the Himalayas from India to China. I love it as much for the foliage as for the flowers.

    oberonia.6903.stack.jpg

    oberonia.6903.spikes.jpg

    oberonia.6903.plant.clean.jpg
     
  2. Jul 10, 2013 #2
    KellyW

    KellyW Orchid wonk Staff Member Supporting Member

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    That is a beautiful plant.

    I was given an Oberonia myosura (or myosurus) and the leaves are about 2" long. Is that about the size of yours? I have been growing mine shady and moist. How are you growing this one?
     
  3. Jul 10, 2013 #3
    piotrm

    piotrm Well-Known Member

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    Oberonia myosurus can have even 10cm leaves:
    http://orchid.unibas.ch/phpMyHerbar...Swartz_Olof_Peter/Lindley_John/img/11750m.jpg

    Marni I do not see this Oberonia cavalerei name at all, nowhere, not in The International Orchid Register not in any book I have.

    only traces by few named like this pictures on this one - someone private gallery?
    https://picasaweb.google.com/navbo123/GuangxiOrchidReserve#5887701434561615138


    Until it is just published i don't believe it such a name exist.

    By the way very nice fat leaves you have so a spikes ;-)

    Need to check if my want to spike but don't think so ;-( looking on history my flowered usually Aug, Sep Oct and Nov, but once even in Jan

    Regards
     
  4. Jul 10, 2013 #4
    Marni

    Marni Well-Known Member Staff Member Supporting Member

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    OK, I misspelled it, sorry Piotr. Oberonia cavaleriei . http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/qsearch.do;jsessionid=C59D72347413024CF6D2854DBFDC73C2

    The images on the Picassa site are by Mary Gerritsen who has made a number of trips to China in the last few years. She is working on an almost finished 2 volume set on miniature orchids with Ron Parsons. Ron is the one who gave me the name and he got the ID from another fellow here in California who specializes in oberonias.

    When I search Kew for Oberonia myosurus (apparently the specific epithet is not myosura) I get that it is a synonym of Phreatia matthewsii, which is the accepted name

    No wonder I'm confused.

    Kelly, I have plants that started out at a couple of inches but they do get longer as the plant gets bigger. The leaves on this plant are about 5" long and I have another piece that has leaves about 7". I grow mine in moderate to moderately bright light with daily water but they dry usually by nightfall. This one is on an old piece of grapevine that stays wet longer than I would like. There is moss on the mount, but not on the plant. I've found that they don't do well once the moss creep starts to move on to the plant. Or perhaps it is that at that point the bushsnails are all over it and it doesn't have a chance to send out good roots. I grow all of mine mounted.
     
  5. Jul 10, 2013 #5
    gnathaniel

    gnathaniel Lurker Supporting Member

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  6. Jul 10, 2013 #6
    Reyna

    Reyna Orchid Obsessed Supporting Member

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    This isn't a genus I am very familiar with, but it is gorgeous! And you are right, the foliage is just as appealing as the flowers.
     
  7. Jul 10, 2013 #7
    spiro K.

    spiro K. Well-Known Member

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    IMG_4206 (1024x683) (800x534).jpg We,ve seen it in southern China, on rocks that were wet, and pretty shaded (in the Paph.hirsutissimum preserve)..
    Not in flower unfortunately, so the ID is not secure.
     
    Marni likes this.
  8. Jul 11, 2013 #8
    Ricardo

    Ricardo Slave of demanding bird

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    That first photo just blew me away, its like every spider I have ever dreamed about packed in one nightmarish but pretty inflorescence.
     
  9. Jul 11, 2013 #9
    piotrm

    piotrm Well-Known Member

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    This explains a lot. So it looks we all have Oberonia cavalerei because Oberonia mymyosurus should not exist than, or as mentioned it is syn. of completely different genus. oh well shame because flower spike before flowers really looks like mouse tail on this one, to which myousurus epiphite refers actually...

    same what Marni has written is confirmed here:
    http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=242334171
    flower no 6:
    http://www.efloras.org/object_page.aspx?object_id=117800&flora_id=2

    well I found on top of it Phreatia myousurus can be as well syn of Phreatia densiflora

    my one of previous spikes:

    IMG_9443a.jpg
     
    Last edited: Jul 11, 2013
  10. Jul 11, 2013 #10
    Marni

    Marni Well-Known Member Staff Member Supporting Member

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    It reminds me of glitter eyelashes at a Halloween ball.

    Thanks for digging around, Piotr. I've never paid attention to the genus phreatia, but I may have to take a look.