# Pearcea troubles



## thane (Sep 11, 2014)

Hello,

I got a couple pearcea from Ecuador and having some trouble with them, and can't figure out what the issue might be.

This is how they're supposed to look:





And this is how they actually look:





They look to me like they're not getting enough water - kind of droopy. But I'm told pearcea aren't ones that like a lot of water. 

When I got them they weren't in good shape. I thought maybe they were having trouble rooting, so I took a few cuttings off the larger one and planted the base in some damp sphagnum and mist the sphagnum a couple times a day. Those seem to be doing a little better, leaves looking a little fuller:




But the other one just seems to get worse and worse, like the leaves seem to be shrinking and all curled up.

Here's how it looked when I got it:



And here's now:



I had to remove some leaves that were damaged (like blackened edges, seemed to be rotted during shipping), but was not getting better. So I tried cutting the roots off this one and putting in damp sphagnum also, but hasn't helped.

Not sure if there's something else I'm missing - more or less light, different potting medium, more air movement?? I've got a couple just in the ABG mix and the cuttings in some damp sphagnum. I've tried watering them less, and watering them more, misting on the leaves and misting on the base only, but nothing seems to help. Maybe they're just not suitable for terrariums and I should try and raise it like a house plant? I could try that but my house doesn't get good light and not very humid either.


I'd appreciate any ideas or suggestions anyone has.

Thanks,
Thane


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## dirtmonkey (Feb 10, 2007)

Gesneriad roots often have a hard time adapting to change. Most collectors will get a plant, then chop off the tops and plant it as cuttings, discarding the roots. The exception would be tuberous plants that don't root well from top cuttings like many of the species of _Sinningia _formerly known as _Rechsteineria_.

_Pearcea _is in the scaly rhizomatous group with _Kohleria_, _Diastema_, and such, so I would make those cuttings, then let the root ball dry for a few days and check for little scaly worm looking rhizomes in the soil, replanting them separately.

Once the cuttings get going on roots adapted to your conditions, they can be pretty vigorous. Most losses are in this transition, but rootless cuttings really are easier to adapt than whole plants.

And yes, they very much like good air movement, especially the cooler/higher elevation plants, but humidity is more important while they're rooting.


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## dirtmonkey (Feb 10, 2007)

Oh, and, do you know what species it is? It's beautiful.


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## Frogtofall (Feb 16, 2006)

They appear to be getting too much light and not enough humidity which is resulting in the closed, tufted look of the foliage.

Vincent has pretty good advice there.


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## thane (Sep 11, 2014)

Thanks Vincent and Antone,

I thought maybe it was the roots not getting adapted, so the plant wasn't taking up water, so I took 3 cuttings off the larger plant and planted them around the tank, some with the base in some damp sphagnum, some with it just in ABG. Those seem to be doing okay.

With the smaller plant I ended up cutting off the top and putting the base of that in some sphagnum, then planting the roots separately (planted horizontally just under the surface). I am seeing some tiny leaves come off the root now, so I figure that's a good sign. The tops still look about the same as in the pictures.

I kept experimenting with more and less water, with not much effect, and I have them all in front of the vents on the tank, so I figure they're getting decent air movement. Too much light was the last factor, but I really didn't know what to look for. I'm considering making a more shaded-off portion of the tank, like with some window screen, so I might try moving a couple of the cuttings in there. I'll have to see if I can increase the humidity without cutting off air movement. I suspect my house is pretty dry in the winter. I've got a digital hygrometer but haven't put it in that tank. I might try adding some more water to the drainage layer.

Sorry I'm not sure of either species. I got these in a shipment from Gilberto Merino in Ecuador, via the rare terrarium plants on FB. He has species names for some of his stuff, but not others, and I don't believe all of his stuff necessarily comes from Ecuador. I'm hoping if I can get these established and healthy, I can take some nice pictures and then ask people for ID. Right now just trying to get them going.


Thanks you both again,
Thane


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## Bunsincunsin (Feb 11, 2008)

From my experience, whenever I have started _Pearcea_ cuttings, they always look terrible while they are rooting and acclimating but they tend to stabilize and eventually begin to put out new growth.


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## thane (Sep 11, 2014)

Thanks Shaun,

I added some water to the drainage layer and measured the humidity to the tank, so it's at about 90% now. So the only remaining variables are lights being too bright and/or acclimation. 

I'm intending to make a shadier portion of the tank for the pearcea and some other plants, just have to get some other stuff set up first. I'm doing a whole big plant reorganization, setting up a rack with lights and plastic bins, in an effort to reclaim my kitchen table.

Thanks,
Thane


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## skArts (Oct 11, 2020)

Not to beat a dead horse, but I have what I think is the same Pearcea, and it's Pearcea hypocyrtiflora. I don't think the 'ideal' pictures in the OP are actually the same plant. The reason is that your plant looks very similar to mine, but the flowers in the 'ideal' plant don't quite match. mine still has the curly super fuzzy leaves, they are less curled than yours. Mines about 4" tall and 4" wide, and is growing quite quickly. The leaves don't like to be in contact with soil, I lost a few of the original leaves when replanting cause of that. It seems to like slightly moist soil and as much humidity as you can give it.
As for light, guessing off old par reading mine is doing well around 20-40ish


Just posting this because I can't find much on the species.


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## Bunsincunsin (Feb 11, 2008)

skArts said:


> Not to beat a dead horse, but I have what I think is the same Pearcea, and it's Pearcea hypocyrtiflora. I don't think the 'ideal' pictures in the OP are actually the same plant. The reason is that your plant looks very similar to mine, but the flowers in the 'ideal' plant don't quite match. mine still has the curly super fuzzy leaves, they are less curled than yours. Mines about 4" tall and 4" wide, and is growing quite quickly. The leaves don't like to be in contact with soil, I lost a few of the original leaves when replanting cause of that. It seems to like slightly moist soil and as much humidity as you can give it.
> As for light, guessing off old par reading mine is doing well around 20-40ish
> 
> 
> Just posting this because I can't find much on the species.


None of the images in this thread depict _P. hypocyrtiflora_, so, if what you have is what's shown in the photos, it's not _hypocyrtiflora_.


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