Florida Native Orchids: another species to search for in the Evergaldes?

[mremensnyder]

Hello everybody,

Assembling a collection of FL natives is not limited by obtaining the ghost orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii), though as you can see by my experiences alone, it is very tricky to cultivate. There are enough success stories from people both in the US and even Europe to indicate that growing and flowering the ghost is very possible.

The species that will keep you searching for many years, if you ever find them for sale at all, are Lepanthopsis melanantha and Epidendrum acunae. Epidendrum strobiliferum and Campylocentrum pacchyrrhizum are also very difficult to find. Soon, my collection will consist of all but the former three. All the others can most likely be collected within a year or less of searching eBay and the better known species orchid vendors.

Grandy, you have a lovely Chiloschista species blooming there. The members of this genus are sometimes referred to as the "Asian ghost orchids" and indeed I have seen leafless orchids collectively referred to as "ghost orchids" as well. For the purpose of this thread, I have been referring specifically to the FL native, Dendrophylax lindenii.

I went ahead and ordered another ghost from Orchids Limited a couple nights ago, and had it overnighted. This one is currently by itself inside a small bonsai fertilizer holding basket (for protection) perched above some wet coconut fiber. My new orchid is outside with the rest of the leafless and will have to fend for itself, and I think it will find our June weather to its liking. Lows 70-75F and highs 86-92F with daytine humidity 45-70% and night humidity 70-95%. Here's hoping I succeed this time!

[mremensnyder]

Update: 72 hours after receiving my new ghost, it is still alive. Yesterday, I noticed it appeared to have the same affliction as the previous two, so I immediately gave it a good long soak in a weak mixture of two fungicides and put it back outside last night. I may have caught the problem in time this time, as the orchid looks OK at the moment and must have enjoyed the soupy conditions of last night and today. I think I will have to treat it with the fungicide mixture on every watering for a while, then maybe just twice a week, until I (hopefully) start to see robust growth from the favorable growing conditions that await. I really want this one to succeed, as I cannot afford an eBay flask right now and wish they were available a few weeks ago!

For those who want to start a FL native collection, here are 20 to start with (could probably get started with these 20 for $500 or less), that are very to fairly easily obtainable and would form a good "back-bone" to a FL collection:
Encyclia tampensis
Encyclia boothiana
Epidendrum magnoliae (conopseum)
var. magnoliae (found in more northern portions of FL)
var. mexicanum (in more southern parts of FL range)
Epidendrum nocturnum
Prosthecea pygmaea
Ionopis utricularoides
Brassia caudata
Polystachya concreta
Maxillaria crassifolia
Maxillaria parviflora
Trichocentrum carthaganense
Tolumnia bahamensis
Cyrtopodium punctatum
Prosthecea cochleata
Oncidium floridanum
Pleurothallis gelida
Vanilla barbellata
Epidendrum rigidum
Vanilla planifolia
Vanilla phaeantha

These are tougher to find or in one case difficult to cultivate!:
Dendrophylax lindenii
Dendrophylax porrectus (Harrisella porrecta)
Trichocentrum undullatum
Vanilla dilloniana
Vanilla mexicana
Macradenia lutescens
Epidendrum floridense
Bulbophyllum pachyrachis
Epidendrum amphistomum
Epidendrum strobiliferum
Govenia utriculata (floridana) (epiphytic or terrestrial)

These remaining few will be almost impossible to find, but do, or will likely show up again in cultivation at some point:
Lepanthopsis melanantha
Campylocentrum paccyrrhizum
Epidendrum acunae

That is 34 species total that are confirmed native at some point, let me know if I missed any.

These remaining orchids are rumored to have been found in FL at some point, or are modern introductions:

Cyrtopodium polyphyllum
Tetramicra caniculata
Restrepiella ophiocephala
Oeceoclades maculata (occasionally epiphytic)
Leochilus labiatus
Encyclia rufa

[estación seca]

Has anybody researched what endosymbiotic fungi normally live with Dendrophylax? I could imagine the plant's normal endosymbiont might ward off pathogens. Treatment with fungicide might kill the endosymbionts and make things more difficult for the orchid. Perhaps plants raised from seed in vitro don't get infected with the normal endosymbiont. Nobody has to spray them with fungicide in habitat and they manage to grow and reproduce.

[mremensnyder]

Estacion seca,

I have read about the fungal symbient that coexists with ghost orchids in the wild. It appears to be especially important to seedlings to help nourish and protect the plant as it starts life.

In cultivation, conditions are different, they vary considerably and anything can happen.

In the case of my plant, each has had a rapidly fatal pathogen, which seems to have been held at bay, for now, by the fungicide treatment. This is day 2 of treatment with the propiconazole/copper soap mixture (weak strength), and the largest/newest root on the plant actually appears healthy along the whole length at latest check. It has that nice healthy green color with the darker green mottling after being soaked today. The other 2 roots have withered close to the caudex, but I am hoping this plant will survive. I will continue the fungicide treatment and give very dilute fertilizer as well to sustain the plant. Any symbient fungi present was not helping the plant not die rapidly in each case. Maybe the fungicide will, since it was applied soon enough.

[estación seca]

Originally Posted by mremensnyder

Estacion seca,

In cultivation, conditions are different, they vary considerably and anything can happen.

I was thinking not about your current plant; of course you have to prevent it from succumbing to disease. Rather, I was wondering about whether there might be a better way to grow these in the future. Perhaps if somebody were able to figure out how to introduce the natural endosymbiont into Dendrophylax seedlings, they might be more resistant to fungus in cultivation.

[IncurablePlantHead]

If one could reproduce a substrate containing various symbiotic organisms that the ghost lives with in habitat, then protection from some of those pathogens might be achieved. I live very close to the habitat of this is orchid, and am thinking of trying it on a piece of substrate straight from a surrounding hammock hoping it will already contain the protective organisms. With the summer coming on, I think it would be a good time to get it acclimated to a new home in the native garden. Probably just need to suppliment with extra moisture and a very low level of nutrients. I saw one growing very well on a hanging mount once with a lot of southern exposure, but I do not know exactly the culture attributes of it. It appeared to be on a chunk of live oak.

[mremensnyder]

That sounds like an amazing idea, I think it is definitely worth experimenting with in a lab by one of the propagators/growers of ghost orchids. I wonder how common the fungus in question is. For example, I have considered collecting bark/sticks/twigs/etc. from unprotected areas of S. FL near the everglades and the tropical hammocks from Fort Myers, south. I could then contaminate the substrate, mount or even just the orchid itself with material that may contain the fungus. If it is ubiquitous in southern FL forest areas, simply collecting material as mentioned should be adequate to inoculate plants of Dendrophylax lindenii. If the fungus is rare and localized, then getting a sample may require a scientist to get permission to take a sample from ghost orchid habitat or even specifically from a tree on which the orchid is growing.

Based on a few online sources, the fungal symbiont is a species or perhaps multiple species within the family Ceratobasidiaceae. The sources further say the fungi tend to be "cosmopolitan" in distribution and that it occurs in soil, leaf matter, fruiting bodies, leaves and stems.

When I was in Marco Island, I found a branch that had fallen with a large Tillandsia attached, which I still have, bark and all. So, chances are, I have a sample already.

[mremensnyder]

Incurableplanthead, my last post was typed before your post, but submitted after, so I did not yet see what you had written. It sounds like obtaining a sample of the aforementioned fungus is not the problem. It may even be everywhere in the wild in Central FL or even further north. The challenge may be establishing the symbiotic relationship in young plants as it occurs in the wild.

You can guess what happened to my third ghost, despite the fungicide treatments...So, I ordered a flask of Dendrophylax lindenii off of eBay. Now the question will be if they are ready to be de-flasked and if it would be worthwhile to let them grow until early next summer before de-flasking. I bought a flask of Dendrophylax fawcettii last week and so far, the deflasked seedlings are doing well. Today,I used wood glue to attach the little plants to small hickory wood logs , and they are housed in an aluminum cage to enjoy the more or less perfect growing conditions over the next few months. My orchid budget is busted, and then some, for at least a few months. $$$

[MRay]

Have you contacted the University of Florida? They have done some recent work with Florida native orchids.

[IncurablePlantHead]

I saw those fawcettii on ebay, very cool plants. Never saw these before, hope they are an easier grow than lindenii.

I'm not sure holding them for another day to experience the cruel world will help any. Is there evidence to show that these flasked ones are too small to deflask now? It must now seem the safe thing to do after your near-term experiences, however.

I think if you're pretty sure of your technique and strategy, the flask route is a good way to go. This way, with more seedling diversity, you have a greater chance of having one with the genetics to survive the transition.

For various reasons, mostly $$, I think I will forgo my ambitions with the ghost. Maybe a little later.