Dendrophylax lindenii

Part of my goal when I wright these things is to demonstrate how diverse the orchidaceae family actually is. Dendrophylax lindenii, or Ghost Orchid is a perfect example of how amazing nature can be.

The Ghost orchid does not have any leaves, or any stems. It does however have a large mass of roots which contain all of the chloroplasts. Its fun to imagine how a plant might evolve in such a way. 

This plant is packed full of fantastic attributes. One such example of this would be that it is nocturnally fragrant. Not saying that you wont get anything during the day, but it for sure smells the most excellent at night. when the Humidity is just right, this plant will blow your MIND!

This plant grows wild in the swamps of Florida and Cuba. They reside on several species of trees such as Bald Cypress, Pond Apple, and various palm trees.  There they must have ideal conditions to flourish and blossom. Many people have attempted cultivating Dendrophylax but alas, cultivation has proven to be extremely difficult.  Dont lets this discourage you though, as horticulturalist we should always be on the search for new cultivation methods to help us overcome complications!

Little, Chris. GhostOrchid.info. Web. 30 Jan. 2011. <http://www.ghostorchid.info/generalinformation.htm>.

"AOS | Another Ghost Story." AOS | Members Only Area. Web. 30 Jan. 2011. <http://www.aos.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=home&CONTENTID=7892&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm>.