Sorry, I had difficult time thinking up a title for this post… why the exorbitant choice… This lovely Miltassia is blooming right now. I think it looks a lot like Miltassia Charles M. Fitch ‘Dark Monarch’, but the tag on mine only said Miltassia so who knows. I have nothing against man made hybrids, many are quite stunning – like this one. I only wish dealers would demand to know what hybrids they are selling and give us the actual registered names (at least if there are any).
Miltassia is an intergeneric hybrid (a bigeneric genus) based on a cross between Miltonia and Brassia. If my orchid really is the Miltassia Charles M. Fitch ‘Dark Monarch’ the parents would be Brassia verrucosa x Miltonia spectabilis. It sure would be nice to know.
In any case, mine has produced two flower spikes this year and I just love the deep purple colors and amazing shape of these flowers – regardless of its name. It is a fast grower and it grows fairly large, so I am probably going to have to divide mine every other year or it won’t fit it in my growing window… a pleasant problem I suppose. I grow this one fairly bright, almost at Cattleya levels, and under intermediate temperatures in a bark/coconut husk mix. It is important with an even watering regimen as it easily sets accordion-wrinkled leaves when too dry.
