Anoectochilus roxburghii × Ludisia discolor ‘Spiderman’

Hybrid origin and background of Anoectochilus roxburghii × Ludisia discolor ‘Spiderman’

The cross Anoectochilus roxburghii × Ludisia discolor dates to Veitch in 1865 and is now listed by the RHS as × Ludochilus Dominyi.

‘Spiderman’ is a horticultural name used for a dark-leaved selection of this hybrid. Its breeder and cultivation history remain unclear.

Indoor care for Anoectochilus roxburghii × Ludisia discolor ‘Spiderman’

• Watering: Keep the mix evenly moist and let the pot drain fully after watering. Water again when the top feels lightly damp and the pot feels lighter.
• Temperature: This hybrid does well in a warm room with fairly stable temperatures, including while stem sections are rooting.
• Light: Provide low to moderate indirect light. Gentle filtered light suits the dark velvet foliage well.
• Humidity: Keep the air humid around the plant. In a terrarium or cabinet, give the plant gentle airflow so moisture clears from the leaves and stems.
• Pot and mix: Use a shallow, wider pot filled with orchid potting mix that holds moisture but drains well. Let spreading stems rest on fresh mix so they can root as they grow.
• Nutrition: Use a complete fertiliser at low strength as fresh leaves, roots and side shoots appear. Occasionally water with plain water to flush out excess salts.
• Slower growth: When growth slows, keep moisture steady and reduce feeding until fresh leaves or shoots appear again.
• Flowering and growth: Mature stems can flower. Keep the mix evenly moist while a spike develops and feed while the plant is producing fresh growth.
• Propagation and repotting: A rooted section carrying a healthy new shoot can be separated. Refresh the mix or choose a larger shallow pot once the stems meet the rim.

Common issues with Anoectochilus roxburghii × Ludisia discolor ‘Spiderman’

• Stems wrinkle and leaves soften: Check whether the mix around the roots has dried out or the pot is losing moisture quickly in warm conditions. Water thoroughly and let the pot drain. Check the mix before watering again.
• Silver scratches, webbing, stickiness or cottony deposits appear: Inspect the joints, undersides and new leaves for thrips, mites, scale or mealybugs. A powdery film can also be residue or fungal growth, so identify the cause first. Once the pest is confirmed, use a houseplant treatment that lists it on the label. Follow the label for dose and repeat treatment.
• Brown, grey or wet spots keep spreading: Foliage that stays wet in poor airflow can develop leaf disease. Remove leaves with extensive damage, keep splashes off the foliage when watering and separate the plant while the spots are still spreading.
• A fleshy stem turns translucent and soft: Waterlogged roots and bacterial soft rot can both soften the fleshy stem quickly. With a disinfected blade, remove every soft part until only firm, healthy tissue remains. Discard the rotten tissue, then set each healthy section onto fresh potting mix that drains well and let it root again.
• Persistent wilt follows a dark mark on the stem: Fungal disease can affect the roots or lower stem after root damage. Check the roots and lower stem and trim away diseased tissue. Only treat after identifying the fungal disease. Use an indoor ornamental fungicide whose label lists it. Follow the label for dose and repeat treatment.

Keep Anoectochilus roxburghii × Ludisia discolor ‘Spiderman’ away from children and pets

• Keep this plant away from children, cats and dogs.
• Its effects after chewing or swallowing are unclear, and plant material can still cause an upset stomach.
• Contact a veterinarian or medical professional if symptoms develop or do not settle.

The history of the names Anoectochilus roxburghii and Ludisia discolor

Anoectochilus combines Greek anoiktos, meaning open, with cheilos, meaning lip, referring to the spreading form of the flower’s labellum. The epithet roxburghii honours the Scottish botanist William Roxburgh. Discolor is Latin for “of two colours” or “differently coloured”, referring to the contrasting tones associated with the species.

Carl Ludwig Blume established the genus Anoectochilus in 1825 in Bijdragen tot de Flora van Nederlandsch Indië, page 411.

Achille Richard established the genus Ludisia in 1825 in Dictionnaire Classique d’Histoire Naturelle, volume 7, page 437.

Nathaniel Wallich first described it as Chrysobaphus roxburghii in 1826 in Tentamen Florae Napalensis, page 37. John Lindley later placed it in Anoectochilus as Anoectochilus roxburghii in 1839 in Illustrations of the Botany of the Himalayan Mountains, page 368.

John Bellenden Ker Gawler first described it as Goodyera discolor in 1818 in Botanical Register, volume 4, plate 271. Carl Ludwig Blume later placed it in Ludisia as Ludisia discolor in 1859 in Flora Javae, New Series, page 95.