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Splash of yellow

With its rich yellow flowers, Oncidium adds a unique touch to gardens

BRIGHT BLOOMS Oncidium is useful as a cut flower

Evergreen, terrestrial, epiphytic orchids (Oncidium) are found in Mexico, South Africa and the West Indies. Oncidium belongs to the family Orchidaceae. Some Onicidium are complete with fan-like foliage; others have oblong ovoid pseudo bulbs that bear either a large rigid leaf or two smaller 10-20 cm long flexible leaves. Flowers are typically yellow with prominent tips and are produced in short or tall racemes or panicles from the base of the plant.

Onicidium flexuosum (Dancing doll orchid) has one or two linear, leathery leaves 10-20 cm long. It has rich, canary-yellow flowers 2 cm across, with red brown markings on the sepals and the petals are clustered towards the tip of the panicles 60 cm long. This variety flowers several times during the year.

Grow Onicidium in baskets. During the flowering season, mist spray daily and water freely, applying mild liquid fertilizer every third watering. Letting water stand around bulbs and roots may cause fungal disease. Ensure that there is full light. Divide when the plants overflow their containers or remove side bulbs and pot separately. Blooms are produced from June to January. Divide the mature 3 to 4-year-old plants, split them into well rooted portions, each with a fat fleshy, oval shaped pseudo-bulb which develops at the base. The plant needs plenty of air.

Oncidium is useful as a cut flower as it lasts for many days.

CHITRA RADHAKRISHNAN

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