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Forum for Epiphytic Myrmecophytes

Karst rock


Derrick

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I see on the WWW there is at least one hydnophytum grower that uses some karst rock as a coarse gravel in his potting mix.

"50% orchids mix, 25% sphagnum moss, 25% white karst rock, some crush (sic) egg shells for the calcium and some scoops of worm humus."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karst

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gypsum

A carbonate based rock is not one I would have considered for epiphytic plants but perhaps one composed of gypsum (pH neutral) might work. Further to this, I wonder if myrmecodomic plants respond differently to most other epiphytes. Certainly some myrmecodomic orchids also occur on limestone cliffs.

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Bonjour

 

for lecanopteris-solanopteris-dischidia- rubiaceae 

 

hard to say that these plants are calcareous, they grow mostly in epiphytes sometimes only certain categories of trees.

for me to use this karst rock is nonsense as gypsum that has as formula CaSO4.2H2O which is not neutral too.

against by use of vermiculite or perlite which are silicates or phyllosilicates, why not.

for culture in my opinion closer to the 'in situ'

jeff

 
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If most of these plants grow in karstic area, I think thank only a few live really in karst rocks (unlike many orchids like Vanda, Cymbidium, Paphiopedilum...).

As Jean-François said, many are epiphytics, and these substrates are basically acid: bark, leaf-litter tend to acidity. I agree that peat is more closer to their natural conditions, as well as orchid bark.

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Bonjour

 

 regularly I use the pure gypsum for some Mexican pinguicula, what we can say is that these plants can grow very well in a mineral clay and limestone substrate  , for contrast against putting a mineral clay and limestone plants in gypsum is not recommended, this one being too retains water.

 

rather organic acid environments plants, like the ones that interest us, in my opinion will react badly, that's what I see on my organic acidic pinguicula.

every plants live in a well-defined environment, derogate to their original environment could kill them.

 

 

jeff

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