Waxy Sarcochilus Orchids in Qld
This article was written in 2020 and is part of our Wayne Harris Article Series. Wayne was an avid orchid-enthusiast, photographer, author of several orchid publications and life-member of the Nambour Orchid Society. After a short illness, Wayne sadly passed away in 2020.
Latin name: Sarcochilus hartmannii F. Muell.
Common name: Waxy Sarcochilus
Discovery: Charles H. Hartmann, an amateur botanist, discovered this species in the ranges near Toowoomba, and until recent times rare plants still could be found in the vicinity of the railway-station at Spring Bluff. Wonder if there are any left?
Habitat and distribution: this species occurs north of the Bellinger River in NSW to west of Gympie in SE Queensland. Typically it is a lithophyte growing in humus often forming large clumps, on large rocks, on rocky cliff faces and sometimes amongst rocks and grasses in exposed situations at elevations of about 1000m. Particularly good forms are to be found in the Night Cap Ranges in NSW and in the Border Ranges in SE Queensland.
Plant growth: The growth is erect and often freely branching. Stems maybe up to 50cm tall but the plant then is no longer erect. Leaves are 4-10, linear, thick textured, channelled and up to 20cm long. Twenty-five to thirty flowers are crowded on the raceme and are up to 3cm wide, usually white with a crimson or yellow spot, sometimes with out a spot.
Cultivation: This species and hybrids are generally easily grown. It requires light shade (50%), good air movement and a free draining mix. Do not over water. As it naturally occurs at moderate altitudes, it grows and flowers more freely away from the coast. Terracotta pots can be used effectively to achieve good drainage.
Hybrids: Many very colourful hybrids have been produced in the genus and S. hartmannii features very prominently in these. Most hybrids are very easily grown and the growth habit is dominant with this species as a parent, producing upright racemes. Hybrids have also been produced with exotic vandaceous genera such as Aerides, Ascocentrum, Phalaenopsis, Renanthera, Rhynchostylis and Vanda. The use of Sarcochilus in this line of breeding adds a degree of cold tolerance to the progeny
Some of its progeny are illustrated with the following images.
