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New Zealand Bamboo Orchid

Earina mucronata

Also called Peka A Waka

New Zealand Bamboo Orchid
Photo: Rudolph89, CC BY-SA 3.0

Earina mucronata is a small epiphytic orchid from New Zealand that grows on tree trunks and branches, with narrow leaves along a flattened stem. It is grown in cultivation mainly as a novelty for mounts and shady, humid spots.

Family
Orchidaceae (Orchid family)
Grows as
Orchid
Light
Part shade, Bright indirect
Water
Water when the mount or root zone starts to dry, and mist between waterings in warm weather.
Soil
Epiphytic: mount on bark or tree fern, or grow in a fine bark and sphagnum mix.
Temperature
10–24 °C; tolerates cool conditions but protect from frost.
How easy
Moderate
Native range
New Zealand, Chatham Is.
Climate
temperate

About

Earina mucronata is species of plant endemic to New Zealand. The specific epithet means "pointed" and refers to the shape of the tips of this orchid's very narrow leaves. The leaves are arranged alternately in one plane along a flattened, unbranched pseudobulb which can grow up to 1 m in length but which is generally shorter. As in most Monocotyledons the base of each leaf is extended into a leaf sheath which completely encircles the stem, in this species they are greatly elongated and extend the full length of the internode. The sheaths are 2 or 3 mm wide and in contrast to those of E. autumnalis they are difficult to pull off. Another key distinguishing feature of this species are the tiny, ubiquitous black spots which cover the leaf sheaths as well as many of the leaves themselves - these are notably absent in autumnalis.

Other Earina plants

Earina aestivalis · Easter Orchid · Earina

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Earina mucronata by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.

The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

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