Orchid
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About Orchids and their Growth Patterns
The orchid family is one of the largest groups of flowering plants which has over 50,000 species so identifying them can be a REAL chore! Rio Dulce has a pretty good variety of epiphytic orchids growing naturally in the trees and spotting them is no problem, the trick is spotting them in bloom and trying to identify them from that point. Here, orchids are largely polinated by "Orchid bees" in the tribe (Euglossini) found only in the rainforests of the Americas which cause orchids to mutate quickly. Since orchids only bloom about twice a year, each time they are polinated by an orchid bee, that bee has been to other types of orchids, and the pollen from other orchids, mutates the next plant it visits. THAT'S why identification is so difficult. I usually try to take a picture of them and post that picture on an Orchid club web site bulletin board to see if anyone else has seen or knows about that particular variety. Orchids are generally categorized by the way they grow. There are two patterns of growth: Sympodial and Monopodial. Below the pictures you will find more information on them. If you see one I have not identified yet that is here, PLEASE let me know what it is!
SYMPODIAL ORCHIDS
Orchids with a sympodial growth pattern usually grow in a horizontal direction like a creeping vine. The stem is called a rhizome. The rhizome lies horizontal to the surface of the ground and sprout roots along its length in a downward direction and produce thickened vertical stems called pseudobulbs. Each pseudobulb will generally have one or two leaves at its top. New growth begins at the base of the leading pseudoblub from a place called an "eye." Many of these orchids also form a specialized leaf-like structure called a sheath at the base of the leaves of the leading pseudobulb in which the flower is formed.
The most common Sympodial orchids are:
Cattleya
(KAT-lee-a)Cymbidium
(sim-BID-ee-um)Dendrobium
(den-DROH-bee-um)Miltonia
(mil-TOH-nee-a)Odontoglossum
(o-don-toh-GLOSS-um)Oncidium
(on-SID-ee-um)Paphiopedilum
(paff-i-e-PEE-di-lum)MONOPODIAL ORCHIDS
Orchids with monopodial growth grow upward from a single point. Growing taller, in a single direction from a single stem as it matures. They add a few leaves each year and the flowers generally come from between the leaves. They do not have a rhizome or pseudobulbs.
The most common of the monopodial orchids are:
Phalaenopsis
(fal-en-OP-siss)Vanda
(VAN-DA)Angraecum
(an-GRYE-kum)
Night Scented Orchid
(Epidendrum nocturnum)
The name refers to its epiphytic growth habit of growing on trees. Large flower up to 5 cm, sepals, petals green yellow, lip white, yellow crest. Grow same as E. pseudoepi. Named in 1763 by Carolus Linnaeus for all the epiphytic orchids he knew. There are 1100 species of evergreen epiphytic, lithophytic or terrestrial orchids. Most produce cylindrical, leafy stems, others have pseudobulbs. Rather an elegant flower, crisp clean colors and very fragrant at tnight.
Brassavola nodosa
(Epidendrum )
Strongly epiphytic or litophytic from the dry low forests of Guatemala. Grows very easy on warm climate. 3-5 flowers raceme, big white showy flower with brown spots on the lip.
Epidendrum Stamfordianum
(Epidendrum )
Native to Central America 2" honey colored fragrant flowers, two-foot flower spike is branched and the flowers are long-lasting
Gongora quinquenervis
(Epidendrum )
a unique plant from Central America; this is found growing in fairly humid conditions on the trunk and main branches of trees -- not much more than head height; the 2 flowers can be produced in numbers of up to 30 per pendulous spike; the flowers are a creamy yellow with dark reddish-brown spots
Monja Blanca
(Lycaste skinneri alba)
The Monja Blanca, meaning "White Nun" was declared the national flower of Guatemala on February 11, 1934. It symbolizes peace, beauty and art.
Masdevalia floribunda var tuerckheimii
(Epidendrum )
Small epiphytic plant with purple tubular flowers, grows in temperate humid forests of Guatemala. The tuerckheimii variety has very dark purple flowers.
Encyclia Cochleata
(Epidendrae, Laeiinae)
Origin: Central America, West Indies, Columbia, Venezuela, FloridaPlant of variable size. The pseudobulbs are ovoid and somewhat compressed from side to side, 2-8 in (5-20cm) long, with 2-3 leaves at apex. The leaves are elliptic-lanceolate, flexible, 8-12 in (20-30 cm) long and about 2 in (5 cm) wide. The apical inflorescence grows gradually longer over a number of months and easily exceeds 20 in (50 cm); during that period the pale green flowers open in sucession, usually 2-3 at a time. They are fairly ;arge amd cpms[ocipis, with a characteristically concave, very dark purple lip which, in some specimens, may appear almost black.
Catesetum sp.
(Catasetum integerrimum)
Origin: Central America, West Indies, Columbia, Venezuela, FloridaCatasetum orchids are unusual in that they produce male and female flowers - usually at different times and on separate flower stalks. Occasionally however, a single flower spike may have both male and female flowers on it.
