Florida's Oft-overlooked Ghost Orchid-- Dendrophylax porrectus

We are now entering the blooming season for Florida's enigmatic 'Little Ghost Orchid' (not its actual common name - Jingle Bell Orchid or Needleroot Orchid are the most often used names). It was originally discovered in Florida growing in a citrus grove near Oneco, FL, then having the name Aeranthus porrectus. It has since bounced around between several genera and species - Harrisella porrecta, Campylocentrum porrectum, Campylocentrum filiforme, to finally land in the genus Dendrophylax (as Dendrophylax porrectus) , the same genus as its more famous cousin, the Ghost Orchid. While the Ghost Orchid has large, showy flowers, Dendrophylax porrectus has tiny, inconspicuous flowers barely bigger than a pinhead growing on a plant that is easily overlooked, being just a bundle of untidy roots. It is most likely the most common epiphytic orchid in Florida, but is very rarely seen...giving it a state protected status of Threatened. While the range of other epiphytic orchids has decreased due to freezes in the 70s and 80s, folks continue to find new northern populations, gradually extending its known range northward. While it used to be found commonly in citrus groves, the use of herbicides to control ball mosses, wild pines and other air plants of the genus Tillandsia has made it unlikely to find them in this habitat anymore.



Its seed pods are probably the most conspicuous aspect of this plant, fairly large and turning a bright brown-orange just prior to dehiscing.



The most common host trees for this orchid are Eastern Red Cedar, Pop Ash, Bald Cypress, and Pond Apple. They are most commonly found on small twigs an inch or less in diameter, especially in the crooks between branches, but I have seen plants growing on larger branches and, even in one case, on a fairly large tree trunk. The typical habitat for these will be near a swampy area where other more moisture-loving epiphytes are growing - Encyclia tampensis, Epidendrum magnoliae, Tillandsia setacea, Tillandsia bartramii, Tillandsia utriculata, Tillandsia balbisiana, Tillandsia variabilis, Tillandsia fasciculata, Tillandsia paucifolia (bulbosa), Tillandsia simulata. Look up at the undersides of branches for slender, silvery orchid roots that don't connect to anything resembling a plant. If you're lucky, you'll see the tiny green flowers that are a marvel of miniaturization nestled amongst split seed pods that look very much like little brown bells.


It blooms from August in central Florida into November in the southern counties. Click the link below to see more photographs and read more about this intriguing miniature orchid:

>> Dendrophylax porrectus (Harrisella porrecta) Information Page at Florida Native Orchids <<

Michaux's Orchid (Habenaria quinqueseta)

Michaux's Orchid (Habenaria quinqueseta) is rather widespread in the state of Florida, being found in a large swathe of the peninsula and even a few panhandle counties. Its spidery white-green flowers emerge from this time of year in north-central Florida into wintertime in the southernmost counties. I had the privilege of photographing this orchid at a lovely couple's house in the Brooksville, Florida (Citrus County) area. While I was not able to be there to verify this in person, they described the flowers as having a night fragrance that strongly resembled magnolias.

Interestingly enough, as I was reading their e-mail describing the fragrance, another e-mail came in from someone who lived in the same general area asking me to identify her yard volunteer orchids. It turned out to be more of the same species growing not five miles from where I was photographing that day. Apparently, these orchids like to grow in people's yards in the Brooksville area. This makes me want to move to Brooksville.


The spidery flowers are the largest of the Habenarias in the US, spanning 1.5 to 2 inches (3.7 to 5cm) across.

A previous post to this blog showed Habenaria macroceratitis, which some consider as a variety of H. quinqueseta. Others maintain this to be a separate species, based on several characteristics, including the spur length (H. quinqueseta has a significantly shorter spur/nectary than H. macroceratitis)

You can read more about this species at the new information page at the Florida Native Orchid website:

>> Michaux's Orchid Information Page at www.flnativeorchids.com <<

I have also created an information page for H. macroceratitis:

>> Long-horned False Rein Orchid at www.flnativeorchids.com<<

Enjoy!
---Prem

Holding Court with Royalty, Part 6 - Behold the Queen!!! (Platanthera blephariglottis)

If Platanthera ciliaris is the King of the Bog, then the White Fringed Orchid could certainly be considered The Queen. Her cream-white flowers closely resemble the Orange Fringed Orchid, but differ not only in color (at one point she was considered an albino form of the Orange Fringed), but also in shape and the depth of fringing on the lip.



I was directed back in 2004 to an area where these orchids were supposed to be found in northeastern Florida. Following the map I had been given, I drove relentlessly back and forth on this one stretch of highway, trying to spot these orchids. After a few hours of searching, I had no success...it seemed that the area where these were supposed to grow had been mowed down to within an inch of its life. Finally, I headed home with a heavy heart, thinking that all was lost.

I happened to glance over to the other side of the road well out of the indicated range on the map, and a fleeting glimpse of white caught my eye. As I exited the car, my heart leapt into my throat...three plants were just starting to open their first flowers. I marked the area and returned the next week to flowering stems as fully open as they could be (by the time the top buds open, the bottom flowers are far past spent).

Four years passed by...after which I returned to the area with better photographic equipment, hoping to reprise my earlier photographs. This time, our timing must have been off, as the only orchids to be seen were a few Crested Fringed Orchids along a side road...probably a bit too early for The Queen.

The next year, I returned to find two White Fringed plants on their very last flower...obviously too late in the year. Of course, you have to add to the mix the fact that an unseasonably cool or warm winter can throw these plants off by several weeks, making their blooming time a bit of a moving target.

This year, armed with the dates of the previous years' attempts, we finally found a group of plants in flower. The camera was pulled out and a few nice pictures resulted. The next week proved even better...there must have been a hundred plants scattered along this one area maybe one quarter mile long. At long last, I was able to recapture these beauties at a higher resolution to present for your viewing pleasure.

To see all the photos, head over to the newly revised White Fringed Orchid Page, linked below:

>> White Fringed Orchid Information Page <<

Holding Court with Royalty, Part 5 - The King of the Bog (Platanthera ciliaris)

Ascending from the moist pinelands, prairies, roadsides and bogs, the Orange Fringed Orchid (Platanthera ciliaris) has no equal. The plants themselves can reach three feet (~1m) tall with flower heads 6 inches (15 cm) in height. Each heavily fringed flower is around 1 inch (2.5cm) in length, not including the spur, and ranges in color from yellow-orange to apricot.


You can learn even more about this species (including a detailed discussion of their pollination mechanism) by following the link below:

>> The Orange Fringed Orchid Information Page <<

Holding Court with Royalty, Part 4 - The Crown Prince (Platanthera chapmanii)

One of the rarest orchids in the United States, Platanthera chapmanii is believed to be descended from natural hybrids of Platanthera cristata and Platanthera ciliaris owing to the fact that it appears to be intermediate in form and size between these two species. Because of this, it has been given the hybrid designation Platanthera x chapmanii in some publications. While it does often inhabit the same areas where one or both of the purported parents are also found, this is not always the case. Further, it appears to maintain stable populations, sometimes rather expansive, in areas where it is found. Because of these qualities, it has been elevated in recent years to a species in its own right.

You can read more about this species at the newly revamped Platanthera chapmanii page below:

>> Chapman's Fringed Orchid Information Page <<

Enjoy!
---Prem

Holding Court with Royalty, Part 3 - Crested Fringed Orchid (Platanthera cristata)

Here is another one of the bog princelings, Platanthera cristata, or the Crested Fringed Orchid. It emerges typically a few weeks prior to the largest of the native Platantheras (P. ciliaris, P. chapmanii, and P. blephariglottis), finishing up with the last of the flowers on its spike when they are starting to open their first flowers.

I took this photo on a recent field trip my wife and I took searching for the elusive queen of the Platantheras, but more on that later.

Its proportions are similar to the P. nivea and P. integra shown previously...roughly a 12-18 inch plant with a 2-3 inch flower head. I have seen particularly robust plants exceed these dimensions a little.

You can find out even more about this species on my newly refurbished Crested Fringed Orchid information page. Click on the link below:

>> The New Crested Fringed Orchid Info Page <<

Enjoy!

---Prem

Holding Court with Royalty, Part 2 - Orange Fringeless Orchid (Platanthera integra)

In early to mid August (at least in the Florida panhandle where I'm most familiar), one of the bog princelings comes into bloom. Platanthera integra, also known as the Orange Fringeless Orchid or the Yellow Fringeless Orchid) blazes forth in a brilliant yellow-orange color. When viewed in the late afternoon, when the sun has become more golden in color, its flower heads appear to be literally on fire.


This species has roughly the same proportions as Platanthera integra, with some key differences being flower color, flower presentation (lips-downward or resupinate), and a lack of fragrance. While many of the Floridian bog-dwelling Platantheras, have decided fringes on their lips, P. integra has lips with only the slightest etching, as if it aspires one day to be like its larger family members.

You can read even more about this species on the updated Orange Fringeless Orchid web page by clicking the link below:

>> Orange Fringeless Orchid Information Page <<

Enjoy!

---Prem

Holding Court with Royalty, Part 1 - Snowy Orchid (Platanthera nivea)

Over the next few blog posts, I will be featuring the royal family of the Floridian bog orchids, the Platantheras, many of which are in bloom around this time of year. As far as showiness and gaudiness, there is arguably none other like this group to grace our fair state. Frequent inhabitants of wet roadsides bordering wet pinelands, these plants are hard to miss when bloom time and drive time coincide--even if the driver is careening down the road at highway speeds.

So, let us enter the court of these lovely kings, queens, princes, and princesses and admire them for their beauty, their sheer ostentatiousness, as they grace the bogs with their royal presence...

First on our list is the delicate princess, Platanthera nivea, emerging one-to-two months before her more stately kin. Her delicate spikes of snowy-white flowers gleam with crystalline beauty in the sunny, wet meadows and moist pinelands where she makes her home. Plants are usually less than 18 inches tall (45.7 cm) with a three-inch (5 cm) flower head. Unlike many of her kindred, the flowers are presented with their unfringed lips held uppermost and bear an unmistakable fragrance--not unlike that of citrus blossoms.

You can read more about this species (and see more photos) at the newly revised FLNativeOrchids.com Snowy Orchid page below :

>> The Snowy Orchid Information Page <<

---Prem

Visitor from Another Phylum

Phylum arthropoda, to be exact...

Very near to where the Habenaria macroceratitis grow is a population of another woodland orchid, Triphora trianthophora, also known as the Three Birds Orchid (owing to the fact that robust plants will sometimes have three flowers crowding out the top level of the plant). This species blooms sequentially, with one to three buds ripening at a time only to open for one day. Another common name for this species, Nodding Pogonia, speaks to the fact that plants are often encountered after or before this blooming day. All the plants in a colony will bloom in sync, with the next set of buds ripening after that, to bloom in sync yet again. Hence, your chances of seeing this species in bloom at any one time is about one in seven to one in fourteen (1-2 weeks between flowering flushes). On the day we saw the H. macroceratitis in flower, we found the population of Three Birds Orchids in typical nodding, non-blooming pose. Rewind back two years ago, when the H. macro's were already out of bloom, and then we found this colony of little Three Birds in full flower...three or four individuals had flowers just beckoning us to photograph them. The tallest plant was about three inches tall, pictured here:


You can see the next bud next to the flower getting ready to open within the next few days. As we were setting up for a closeup shot, I noticed a bit of movement in the air near the flower. A small, wasp-like creature was zeroing in on the flower. I hurriedly set up and hoped I would catch the insect in action. As it turned out, my timing was good and I got a shot of it right as it was entering the flower:




Below is direct crop from the center of the image, showing the detail of the insectiferous creature:



While at first glance, it might appear to be a smallish wasp, closer examination shows that it is more likely a type of fly with a shape and coloration designed to appear waspish. The bulbous, flyish eyes were what gave it away. I attempted to identify it on my own using on-line insect ID sites, but to no avail. Finally, I ran across the page of Dr. Gary Steck of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, who kindly identified this fly for me as Stylogaster biannulata, one of the 'thick headed flies'. the young of these flies are parasites on cockroaches and/or grasshoppers/crickets, while the adults are often found drinking nectar from flowers (like my little guy/gal).

This was my first good capture of pollinator and orchid flower together. Far too often, the visitor had already left by the time I had set up for the shot, but this day...this day was different. So, long odds for just finding T. trianthophora in flower, and then multiply that by the odds of catching a pollinator near the flowers, then multiply that by the odds of getting the shot timed right to capture the pollinator...Providence was definitely smiling on me this day.

Enjoy!

---Prem

New orchid photos - Habenaria macroceratitis

Also known as Habenaria quinqueseta v. macroceratitis. This is a woodland species found sparingly in Florida. Where it is found, it can form dense colonies of plants through vegetative reproduction. In fact, some colonies seen in deeper woods never seem to flower (strong enough light is often a key to orchids flowering well), but spread into large, sterile colonies through asexual reproduction alone.

I have visited this particular site in Citrus County, FL for three years running, always just a bit too late to see the plants in flower. I have been greeted instead by wilted flowers and swelling seed pods. This year, I finally got the timing right and found about ten flowering plants among a colony of several hundred. There was no breeze to speak of and the morning sun shone a spotlight (sometimes diffused by clouds) on the beckoning spikes. The flowers are some of the larger flowers in the state, being about 2 inches (5 cm) across from spindly arm to spindly arm. To add to the superlatives, the spur/nectary itself can be a good six inches (15 cm) or more in length. While I haven't smelled a fragrance personally, it is very likely that, like H. repens and H. odontopetala, this species emits a night fragrance to attract rather long-tongued moths to their flowers. Below are thumbnails of the photos taken. Clicking them will open the full-sized photo:

You will also notice a medium-sized brown spider on the larger spike, evidently at home among the spidery blossoms. Here is a closeup:

This type of ambush predation on flowering stems of all sorts is quite often encountered in the field...spiders laying in wait for a hapless visitor to the flowers and the pollinators hoping to survive their next visit to a flower spike. It's all a part of the web of life...prey and predator, pollinator and pollinated playing out their roles in a quiet corner of the woods in the wilds of Florida.

Enjoy!

---Prem

Show Your Support For Native Orchids

We've added a brand new bumper sticker to our web shop. For only $5 and some change (for tax, shipping, etc.), you can proudly show your support for our native orchids:




Click the image above to visit the web store.

A portion of the proceeds goes toward funding native orchid conservation efforts.

A Poem: Web

She unfurls threads of finest gossamer,
tying together violent strands,
where her victims meet their end,
where her children find beginning.
Here lies beauty,
here lies fear.
Here is death,
and renewed life.
The web that ties all things together...

© 2010 Prem Subrahmanyam, All rights reserved.

Flutterby: Encyclia tampensis (Florida Butterfly Orchid) from Sarasota County, Florida

We didn't quite make it to Myakka River State Park the other day. We were diverted by a report of a specimen-sized Butterfly Orchid in flower in a nearby wildland, so we went there instead. By the time we finished the 1.6 mile hike to the orchid and back, the children were hot and tired, so we decided call it quits early and to head over to a friend's house and cook up some barbecue. Our friend ended up accidentally putting a bit too much charcoal in the grill and it became about as hot as the inside of a volcano...I am still waiting for some of those singed arm hairs to grow back. Fun times!

Here are two images of this impressive specimen plant...over one hundred 1.5-inch flowers on multiple flower spikes (click to see the images at full size):




You can read more about this orchid at my Florida Butterfly Orchid Webpage:

Click here to find out more about Encyclia tampensis - The Florida Butterfly Orchid

Enjoy!

---Prem

Corkscrew Swamp's 'Super Ghost' Orchid Is Starting To Bloom Again!

July 3, 2010: Corkscrew Swamp's 'Super Ghost' orchid is starting to bloom again. According to the following article:

Ghost Orchid article

The first of fourteen flower buds is opening. This is the only ghost orchid whose location is not kept hidden from the public, owing to the fact that it is far off the boardwalk (about 100 feet) and 40 feet up a tree. There are other ghost orchids that grow elsewhere in the Big Cypress Swamp, Fakahatchee Strand State Park, etc., but their location is a closely guarded secret to prevent illegal poaching.

Corkscrew Swamp is located near Naples, Florida and is a wonderful place to visit, featuring a two-plus mile boardwalk through the heart of one of the last stands of old growth baldcypress trees in the US. In addition to visiting a botanical paradise unlike anything else in the world, birds and other wildlife are often visible just off the boardwalk, seemingly oblivious to the people gawking at them. To plan your trip there, visit their website at:

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

There are also a number of hotels and restaurants in the area offering exclusive 'ghost orchid rates' for visitors coming in to see the rare flowers. You can find out more at:

www.paradisecoast.com

To find out more about the Ghost Orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii), visit the following link:

Ghost Orchid Information Page on FLNativeOrchids.com

Enjoy!

---Prem

Triphora craigheadii info page posted

You may want to surf on over to the Florida Native Orchids website and view the new information page on Triphora craigheadii, one of Florida's rarest orchids and one of several species only known from this state. Here is a direct link to the T. craigheadii page.

http://www.flnativeorchids.com/natives_gallery/triphora_craigheadii.htm

Enjoy!

---Prem

Myakka bound!

Today, our family is heading to the Sarasota area and the Myakka River State Park. It is one of the best areas in the state to observe the Florida Butterfly Orchid in flower, and they are in the peak of their flowering right now.


Here is a link to the park's website if you're interested in visiting it:

http://www.floridastateparks.org/myakkariver/

Oh, and please note: it is illegal to collect the orchids from this park (or any public property for that matter). If you would like your own butterfly orchid, check out my website and go through the links section for a list of commercial nurseries that may have this orchid in stock:

http://www.flnativeorchids.com

Enjoy!

---Prem

Early Grass Pink - not so early this year

I made a trip up into the Florida panhandle recently in late April, primarily to transport family members back to the Orlando area for a visit. Of course, not one to waste a good opportunity, I scheduled a brief amount of time to head into the woods and check on the local flora. I have seen Calopogon barbatus (commonly known as the bearded grass pink or early grass pink) many times in the area...the first time happened when my family got our car stuck in some dirt on a side road in the Apalachicola National Forest. Typically, they come up at the end of March and into the beginning of April, so I didn't have much hope of finding them in bloom this late. Much to my surprise, many small racemes of pink, slightly-less-than-one-inch flowers greeted me along a familiar trailside. It seems that many plants are blooming late this year, owing to the unusually cold and long winter (for Florida, anyway--I hear that in the northern states, spring came a bit early).

Here is one of the first photos to make it through the rather arduous digital editing process:


Note the bristle of hairs presented on the upper half of the lip. You might think (along with any self-respecting bee) that this is a cluster of stamens and/or pistils all covered in pollen and ready for the bees to collect (and thus distribute pollen between flowers), but you would think incorrectly. The true pollen is in the arrow-like structure (the column) arching downward from the center of the flower. The lip is jointed below the bristles, bending under the weight of the small bees that visit these flowers. This forces the bee onto its back onto the waiting column below. In the process, pollen is transferred to its back, to be picked up when it visits the next flower. Thus, this species of orchid uses trickery to achieve pollination, not offering any true reward (nectar or pollen) to the visiting bee. This strategy appears to be fairly successful, judging by the number of seed pods encountered on these plants in the wild.

Enjoy!

---Prem

March 2010: Corkscrew Swamp 'SuperGhost' Blooms Extremely Early

March 30, 2010.

The ghost orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii) off the boardwalk at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary has started its blooming season very early this year. This is the earliest blooming for this particular orchid on record and one of the earliest (if not the earliest) dates for seeing a blooming ghost orchid, period. Right now, there is only one flower open (with no other buds visible), so this is just a little taste of what this plant will do later on this year (it usually blooms in July through September with multiple flowers at once).

This one flower will likely last into this coming weekend, if you are interested in going to see it...or you can catch it later on this year Be sure to call the sanctuary in advance at (239) 348-9151 to see if it is still blooming. Also, be sure to get there early for plenty of time to walk the boardwalk.