Brasiliorchis schunkeana also known as Schunke's Brasiliorchis.
Synonyms:
Maxillaria schunkeana
Bolbidium schunkeanum
It is a species of the genus Brasiliorchis. This species was described by R.B.Singer, S.Koehler & Carnevali in 2007.
Brasiliorchis schunkeana is found in the rainforest in Espiritu Santo State, Brazil, where it grows in forests at an altitude of 600-700 meters. It is a small sized, warm to cool growing epiphyte. Brasiliorchis schunkeana blooms in the summer. The flowers are 1 cm in diameter, its flower are very close to black, but it is actually a very dark purple-red, giving the impression of a black flower.
Light:
Brasiliorchis schunkeana prefers a fairly bright position (it must always be protected from direct sunlight), with an intensity of 15000-17000 lux. In winter it also adapts to the lower levels (10000-12000 lux), but in this case it slows down the growth a lot. The recommended photoperiod is 10-12 hours.
Temperature:
It is an intermediate/intermediate-cold greenhouse species (depends on specimen to specimen), and does not adapt much to high temperatures. It is recommend 18-22°C during the day and 15-18°C at night. The minimum temperature that can stand is 10°C. During the summer it is very suitable to keep it outdoors, placing it in a bright place (but without direct sunlight), ventilated and protected from heavy rains and winds.
Humidity:
Being cultivated in pot, this species is not demanding as regards the humidity of the air, and is content of 50-60%. If instead it is cultivated with bare root, the air humidity must be at least 75%.
Substrate, growing media and repotting:
When you buy Brasiliorchis schunkeana, it will certainly be supplied in a black pot, with a medium-large bark as a substrate. The placement of the kind is not absolutely suitable for the conditions of a home. The first thing we need to do is transfer it by moving it to a transparent vase (so it will be possible to monitor the conditions of the substrate and the roots inside the vase) using the pure fiber sphagnum as a substrate. Their roots are very sensitive to both the lack of humidity and the lack of air, so the sphagnum should not be put too thick. By removing the plant from the old vase and freeing it from the present substrate, we must be careful not to damage the roots. It is preferable to grow this plant with a bare root. As a base I always recommend cork. Do not forget to put a generous layer of sphagnum between the cork and the roots of the plant.
Watering:
This orchid gets wet when the substrates is almost dry, not allowing it to dry completely between watering. Brasiliorchis schunkeana has no rest, so it gets wet the same way throughout the year. Care must be taken not to leave the soaked substrate of water for more than 1 day, because it causes root rot.
Fertilizer:
It is fertilized every 4 watering with a fertilizer suitable for orchids. I recommend using 1/4 of the dose indicated on the bottle, diluting it in a container with lukewarm water, after which the vase with the orchid is immersed in this container and left for 10-15 minutes. Before fertilizing it is better to wet the plant, to prevent the fertilizer from burning the sensitive tips of the roots.
Rest period:
Brasiliorchis schunkeana does not need a rest to flower, and is stimulated only by daily changes between daytime and nighttime temperatures. The overhang should be 4-5°. Flowering usually takes place in the winter period, from December to March.