Barkeria

Barkeria spectabilis

The genus Barkeria from the orchid family (Orchidaceae) comprises 15 species, all of which occur in Central America. The plants grow mostly epiphytic or rock.

Description

All species of this genus form of a creeping rhizome at a short distance pseudobulbs. These are long and cigar-shaped, they consist of several internodes. Rhizome and shoot are surrounded by membranous Lower leaves. Sitting in the upper part of the pseudobulbs distributed two to seven, sometimes up to twelve, two lines arranged leaves. The leaves are long - oval, fleshy, folded in the bud along the midrib. The plants are - due to a drought in their home country - mostly deciduous.

The inflorescence is a raceme or slightly branched panicle; it appears at the top of the rung. The resupinierten flowers are generally colored pink, occasionally white, with contrasting red and yellow drawing on the lip. They measure about 1.5 inches in diameter at spectabilis Barkeria shoemakeri and up to eight inches in diameter at Barkeria. At one inflorescence at Barkeria uniflora only one to three flowers, while it can be up to 100 at Barkeria palmeri. The sepals and petals are approximately the same shape - lanceolate and acuminate. The lip is provided with a central ungelappt often yellow callus. Also in ultraviolet light - visible to insects - has the lip on a high-contrast drawing. The winged column is fused at the base with the lip or completely free. The Rostellum sitting unlike Epidendrum transverse to the axis of the column and upon removal leaves no cavity. The stamen contains four pollinia.

Dissemination

The species of the genus Barkeria come from Mexico to Panama before. They grow there as epiphytes or Lithophytes in periodically dry forests at elevations of 200 to 2000 meters.

Culture

Species of the genus Barkeria found relatively frequently in culture, as well as hybrids with other species of related genera. In general, the plants need plenty of light, humidity and good water supply with quick-drying the root zone during the growing season. During the rest period, the substrate must be dry.

System

Within the subfamily Epidendroideae the genus Barkeria in the tribe Epidendreae and there in the subtribe Laeliinae is classified. Barkeria is closely related to Epidendrum, Oerstedella, Caularthron and Orleanesia.

The following 15 species have been described in this genus:

• Barkeria barkeriola Rchb.f., western Mexico
• Barkeria dorotheae half. , Mexico
• Barkeria fritz- halbingeriana Soto Arenas, Oaxaca
• Barkeria lindleyana Bateman ex Lindl. Barkeria lindleyana subsp. lindleyana, Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras
• Barkeria lindleyana subsp. vanneriana ( Rchb.f. ) Thien, Mexico

Historical

The genus Barkeria in 1838 described by Knowles and Westcott for the first time and in honor of the plants importer George Barker of Springfield, England, named, who was the first copies of the underlying Description from Mexico.

Documents

• Carl L. Withner (1998): The Cattleyas and Their relatives. 5, p 17ff. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon ISBN 0-88192-456-3
• Jürgen Röth (1983 ): orchids. Pp. 131f. VEB German Agriculture Verlag Berlin.