Ophrys vernixia

I'm not going to lie to you, I have overlooked this genus for a long time. It never really seemed that interesting to me. I often described them as being snap dragon esc. That is until I came acroos Ophrys vernixia while I was flipping through Encyclopedia of Orchids today.

Have you ever seen a flower that resembled an insect so well? To me it is truly astounding how a flower, through millions of years of evolution could come to resemble the very insect that it relies upon for pollination. So it probably doesn't surprise you that this orchid uses pseudocopulation means of pollinating itself.

Ophrys vernixia is hardy to zone 8 and does have a resting period below the soil where it has two tubers. The first is responsible for the current season growth, and the second is responsible for next seasons growth.  This plant grows in open meadows so it does like full sun. It is not commonly cultivated do the level attention required. They need a period of summer baking, which can be suplimented by relocating specimens to an alpine house.

"2008 Triarch (Conant) Botanical Images Student Travel Awards." Botanical Society of America, Leading Scientists and Educators since 1893. Web. 05 Feb. 2011. <http://www.botany.org/plantimages/conantsta2008.php>.

Pridgeon, Alec, ed. "OPHRYS L." The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Orchids. Portland, Oregon: Timber, 2006. 205-07. Web.

Phragmipedium popowii

 I think its about time I do a lady slipper orchid. Lady slippers really are a mesmerizing flower type. At first glance you might not believe it is a flower at all, it looks more like some sort of carnivorous pitcher plant then it does a flower. The lip of these orchids has been modified so that when an insect comes in for a peek it falls and becomes traped inside the flower. The only way that it can get out is by grasping the hairs lining the back portion of the lip and pulling its way up past the stigmatic surface, thus pollinating the flower.

Given the strange nature of these flowers I have chose an especially strange example of them. Phrag popowii (Syn.  warscewiczianum) has one of the most unique looking flowers out there there. The dorsal pedals are capably of reaching up to 3 feet long! It has a deep maroon pouch with no notable fragrance.

Popowii are native to Guatamala through Peru where it grows in the canopies of trees or on rock faces. They also have been found growing along banks of streams. Their roots are always covered by moss or some other vegetation and are not capable of growing freely exposed.

Popowii can be tricky to grow, they like a little more light then most orchids, 2000 foot candle or 400 micromoles. They are a cool grower so try to keep them around 75 degrees Fahrenheit

Angraecum sesquipedale

To me, there are 3 orchids out there that truly inspire the imaginative and intellectual parts of our being. Dendrophylax lindenii, Dimorphorchis lowii, and Angraecum sesquipedale. Each one of these orchids has some sort of amazing mechanism or morphological feature that distinguishes it within the orchid world. Dendrophylax lindenii is stemless and leafless, Dimorphorchis lowii has true dimorphic flowers. So what is it that makes Angraecum sesquipedale unique. Why has the story of its discovery been passed down for nearly 200 years?

Angraecum sesquipedale, has off white flower that is nocturnally fragrant. What makes this flower so interesting is that it has a 10-12 inch long nectar tube, with only the very end portion containing any nectar. The Purpose of a nectar tube is to attract an insect with the proper mouth parts to lap up the nectar, in this case a moth. Which really makes you wonder, is there really a moth out there with a 12" proboscis?

Many people believe Angraecum sesquipedale was discovered by Charles Darwin, however it was actually discovered by a Frenchmen name Louis-Marie Aubert du Petit-Thouars in 1798. It wasn't until 1862 that Charles Darwin published any work on the species. This is where things get exciting (if you're a nerd like me). Darwin was sent several flowers an asked to analyze them. He developed a theory that their was a moth in existence that has a long enough proboscis to reach the nectar in the bottom of the nectar tube, and then pollinate the flower. This was the only logical conclusion, for moths that could not reach the bottom would simply not seek out the flower, there for the species would not continue to exist in the wild.  unfortunately at the time no such moth was discovered leading to a large amount of skepticism, even from his own followers.  But wait there is more! In 1903 such a moth was discovered and identified as a subspecies of the African Hawk Moth! Is your heart beating as fast as mine? Granted I probably have a little help from all the caffeine I have been consuming. It was given the name Xanthopan morgani praedicta. The epithet praedicta in honor of Darwin's prediction of its existence. This discover was considered to be a triumph of the theory of evolution and has been used a specific model for co-evolution ever sense.

Works Cited

"Angraecum Sesquipedale - Star of Betlehem Orchid - Angraecum Encyclopedia." Genus Angraecum - Angraecum Encyclopedia. Web. 03 Feb. 2011. <http://www.angraecum.org/Species/Angraecum/Angraecum_sesquipedale.htm>.

"Xanthopan Morgani." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 03 Feb. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xanthopan_morgani>.

 

Vandopsis gigantea

As an enthusiast I go through periods of time where my focus is devoted to a specific orchid group. Right now I am obsessed with vandaceous orchids. Vandaceous orchids are plants that reside in the Tribe Vandaeae.  So on my journey from orchid site to orchid site reading about all these wonderful specimens I came across this burly beauty! 

Vandopsis gigantea, a native to malay and extending into parts of china. the name alone gives you a pretty good idea what this plant is about. There are stories that some collectors were unable to move their specimens even with assistance of an elephant! It's probably an exaggeration, the stems rarely reach any longer that 12" with a leaf reach of 24" when cultivated. All Vandopsis are epiphytic, and lithophtic.

Gigantea have yellow leaves with brown splotches, and they are fragrant.

They like it warm, 85-90 degrees Ferinheight with humidity around 65-70%. They can be grown bare root in baskets or in bark mix. In the wild they grow pendant, meaning that they grow downwards. So they will need support if you intend on growing them vertically.

Works Cited

Fischer, Jerry. "Orchid Web: Vandopsis Gigantea." Orchids Limited. Web. 02 Feb. 2011. <http://www.orchidweb.com/detail.aspx?ID=2685>.

"IOSPE PHOTOS." Internet Orchid Species Photo Encyclopedia. Web. 02 Feb. 2011. <http://www.orchidspecies.com/vandopsisgigantea.htm>.

Nationaal Herbarium Nederland. Web. 02 Feb. 2011. <http://www.nationaalherbarium.nl/pubs/orchidweb/genera/Vandopsis/Vandopsis.htm>.

Pridgeon, Alex. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Orchids. Portland, Oregon: Timber, 2006. Print.

"Vandopsis Gigantea Culture." Orchid Culture -- Charles and Margaret Baker. Web. 02 Feb. 2011. <http://www.orchidculture.com/COD/FREE/FS3.html>.

Phalaenopsis lueddemanniana

I'm not really a big fan of Phals, but these lueddemanniana are pretty radical. They are native to the Philippines where they grow epiphytically in the canopy's. 
They have very pleasant petite pink and white flowers. Unfortunately they only produce 3 or 4 flowers per spike. The flowers are slightly fragrant, but nothing to brag about (Gina).  But what makes these plants so super duper cool is the rate in which they produce "Kiekis"!  Seriously, I have never seen a plant produce so many babies. They form off of the flower spike and remain connected until they reach the same biomass as the mother plant. They will also produce their own keikis, soo young... Kiekis of this species will often produce spikes and flower while still on the plants, which is really a spectacular site when one plants has several keikis.

This can be a problem though, since a plant, when flowering will devote most of its energy to the flower and not to the growth. So these lil plant buddies with remain adorble and little until removed.


Like most phals, lueddemanniana is really easy to grow. Just stick it in some sphagnum moss and it ought to do just fine. You probably should remove any keikis once they get to size. If you don't they will suck up all the plants sugars and stunt its growth.

Dimorphorchis lowii

I believe that every orchid enthusiast has that one flower that changes the way that they look at orchids. For me that flower is Dimorphorchis lowii. I was gonna save this one for a little bit later, but as I was tying up something for Phal lueddemanniana this one kept popping up into my head.

So what makes this one so special. Well the first reason is in the name, di meaning two, morph meaning form, and orchis meaning orchid. It has been given this name because it is one of the only orchids with two morphologically different flowers on the same spike. Depending on the length of the spike, the first several flowers are yellow with with maroon or purple dots. These flowers also have smother edges and a more uniform shape. The yellow flowers are not fragrant. As you move further down the spike the flowers switch into red ones with a white or tan back drop. These red flowers are fragrant! I have spoken to several people about how a plant might develop such a feature. Some say that it attracts to different insects to pollinate it. Works for me! This plant is said to be able to reach a height of 8' with an equal leaf span, they are able to produce even longer spikes! 

Pictured of the right is Jerry Fischer, owner of Orchids Limited in Plymouth MN. Jerry is an excellent grower and has been working on his crop of Dimorphorchis lowii for years.

This plant is native to Borneo, where it is very difficult to find in the wild. This plant can be difficult to cultivate, they like temps around 75-85 degrees Fahrenheit, however Jerry has come across a variety called Dimorphorchis lowii 'Farmington' that will grow and thrive in temperatures around 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

Another reason I am writing these blogs is so that maybe one day as you read them you will find one that speaks to you, it won't be like seeing it in real life. But maybe it will point you in the correct direction so that you too can find that one flower that makes your heart beat a little bit quicker.

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>.