Dracula Orchid "Barrow"

[Ron]

Dracula Barrowii opened yesterday, the flower is only 2cm wide with 10cm tails, thought I would share as my first post.

[Maggi Young]

It's tremendous  how the variety of plants is so wide-ranging, isn't it?   Infinite variety really. 

[Gabriela]

Fantastic! I never seen something like this one.
It has a funny name; I found the flower has the expression of a monkey face (a species that I don't remember the name:)

[Maggi Young]

The 'monkey faced' orchids are  Dracula simia

[Gabriela]

The 'monkey faced' orchids are  Dracula simia

Thanks Maggi. I was trying to say that the D. barrowii has a monkey face look. But it's good to know there are more of them 

[Ron]

Thanks Maggi. I was trying to say that the D. barrowii has a monkey face look. But it's good to know there are more of them 

Gabriela, there are 118 species registered but of course any hybrids.

[Maggi Young]

Gabriela, as we say in English - there is a whole barrowload of monkeys! 

[Gabriela]

Ron,
They are fascinating! I cannot say beautiful, but certainly with a strange appeal!

Maggi,
Is this coincidence? 'barrowload of monkeys' and D. barrowii 
(It has been snowing since yesterday so I may have a slightly blurred vision)

[Maggi Young]

That would be great fun - but I think it's  for a Mr Barrow!

 From here :
 http://www.epidendra.org/taxones/Dracula/Dracula%20barrowii%20/
    

Dracula barrowii Luer, Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 88: 98-99, f. 3. 2002.

        Type: Peru. without collection data, obtained from Manuel Arias, of Lima Peru, cultivated at Royden Orchids, Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire, England, R. Barrow O10 Jan. 2002 (holotype, MO; illustration of type, MO).



In a couple of places I found this text : Dracula barrowii. Luer 2002

Little is known about this Dracula species. It is said to originate from Peru but it has never been found there. The description of this species comes from a plant in England. That plant is supposed to come from Peru.

[Gabriela]

Thank you for further blurring of my vision 

I don't remember seeing a type specimen without collection from the country said to originate from. I mean, I didn't know it was possible to describe a species based on a type specimen 'supposed to come' from 'somewhere'.
I'll have to look more into this.

[Gabriela]

I have no idea, the rules of describing and naming species are quite strict. Interesting.
Maybe Ron, who's growing this fantastic plant can give more info about it?

[Gabriela]

It was a bit of confusion, I assumed D. barrowii served as the type for Dracula. Now things are clear - the type was D. chimaera.

Dracula Luer 1978 SUBFAMILY Epidendroideae, TRIBE Epidendreae, SUBTRIBE Pleurothalidinae.
Type Species = ! = Masdevallia chimaera Rchb.f 1872 = Dracula chimaera [Rchb.f] Luer 1978

http://www.peripatus.gen.nz/Taxa/Spermatophyta/Dracula.html

[Ron]

It was a bit of confusion, I assumed D. barrowii served as the type for Dracula. Now things are clear - the type was D. chimaera.

Dracula Luer 1978 SUBFAMILY Epidendroideae, TRIBE Epidendreae, SUBTRIBE Pleurothalidinae.
Type Species = ! = Masdevallia chimaera Rchb.f 1872 = Dracula chimaera [Rchb.f] Luer 1978

http://www.peripatus.gen.nz/Taxa/Spermatophyta/Dracula.html

Gabriela, Dracula Barrowii is a named species, but as you say very frustrating in respect of the information available about the naming.
I know it is named after Roy Barrow who apparently travelled extensively in Peru etc and hence why the plant was named after him.
He grows over 100 species of Dracula orchids and also grows over 450 + species of Masdevallias orchids and is ranked as one of the worlds largest growers, he acts as an agent for Ecuagenera CIA. I obtained my plants from him.
These are rather difficult to grow and after waiting eleven months for it to flower the flowers only last about three to four days. Good job I was not on a break away from home.
 

[mark smyth]

I'd like to try these orchids but was told they are difficult

[Ron]

Mark, they are difficult unless you provide the right conditions, they need high humidity around 80/100% all the time, they need to have an increase in temperature of around 10+ degs and then drop at night, I have let mine go down to 8 deg at night and then rise during the day, they also like a soft air movement around the leaves and kept wet.
During the summer months I grew mine in my Koi pond filtration house where I have a 200 gal filtration system suspended from the ceiling over the filter 100% humidity, and I had a small computer fan on a timer blowing over them, the temperature naturally dropped by about 15 deg each night, in December I moved them to my Conservatory and have them hanging from the ceiling and I still achieve 86% humidity, I have a heater on a thermostat to keep the night temperature above 8 deg and  then during the day allow the heat from the house to heat it. always keep the compost wet but not saturated. They also need about 60% shading.
Hope that helps.