When is an orchid considered a species?

[Cewal]

I'm confused when I see a lower-case species name with a capitalized name after it. If an orchid is advertised as a species but has a capitalized name after the lower-case species name is it still considered a species?

[Gage]

Good question! If a species plant gets awarded for being exceptional, the grower can then give that plant a clonal name, just like an awarded hybrid. For example:

Ascocentrum curvifolium 'Red Dragon', AM/AOS

Sometimes people don't properly put clonal names in single quotes. If the preceding lower case name is definitely a species, you can assume that what follows is a clonal name. But sometimes big commercial growers will give one of their plants a clonal name even though it isn't awarded.

[gnathaniel]

Ditto what Gage said, though really any unique individual can have a clonal name, most people just don't bother unless there's some reason to such as registering an award or for breeding purposes.

But yes, a particular clone of a species is still considered that species for all intents and purposes.

--Nat

[Bud]

By technical definition, native species essentially means that there was no human intervention in the growth or continued survival of a species in a certain ecosystem. This means that even if they originated elsewhere, orchids that have blossomed in particular habitats are considered native species after a number of years. In many ways, native species are quite strong, because they haven’t needed any form of aid to avoid extinction.
When an orchid species is introduced to a new ecosystem(as indoors or in a farm), it’s no longer considered a native species. This would be the case when the flowers are transplanted between regions or orchid farms because of changes in their natural habitat. By introducing an orchid species into a new ecosystem, it then becomes an invasive species.
But still: it is a specie, because there is no contamination of breed in either nature or in a lab

[goodgollymissmolly]

So soybeans and wheat are invasive species in North America because they are not native?

[kavanaru]

That's not 100% correct!

First, native species do not necessarily have to be strong. Very often they are actual very weak and cannot compete with introduced changes in the environment (natural or not!).

Not all introduced species are invasive species. Invasive species are normally strong species which can compete with the local plants and have a better performance, very often replacing the local native species. Wheat and soybeans are introduces in the USA and are not invasive...

Introduced species that become feral, even after many many years are still introduced species and cannot be considered native species, e.g. Arundina graminifloia and Spathoglottis sp are feral species in Hawaii... Since ages! And they are not considered native Hawaiian plants!

[Bud]

relax guys...first of:

look up the meaning of "invasive"= if you are not native to the land...the scientific name they coined for forreign plants is: invasive meaning invaded the territory...it not a term I invented...I just read about it in botanical books...
I guess you think you are better than botanical books then go on and say your piece!
invasive doesnt mean it is destructive and decimated other living plant...its merely a term used by botanists.
species are strong because they lived and existed for centuries...its the part of land that changed and made them weak and start to be extinct...partly because of human intervention...ang YES! they are "invasive" plants if they are not native to the land

theres no species of wheat or soya beans...all of them are hybrids from farming thu the centuries...the original species of those dated back to the Egyptian / Moses period of the bible maybe...even then they have produced hybrids of it already...do your research before you bust me!
I dont even know why I reacted to this...since I would be contributing to your learning...if I was cruel I'd just let you go on with your misinformation LOL

and please give the person of this thread your definition of "specie" let me see how you do it smartpants!

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

I think Minda was asking a simple question about the way people write out orchids' names that led to the follow up question about what constitutes for a species orchid to be considered a species orchid versus a hybrid.

Since there is already an ongoing discussion about what constitutes a species orchid to be considered a species orchid vs a hybrid, I will focus on the easy part of the inquiry.

The proper way to taxonomically write out the species name to a species orchid is:

Bulbophyllum psychoon (correct! )

vs

Bulbophyllum Psychoon (wrong! )

People who write species names for species orchids with the species portion of the name capitalized often think it isn't a big deal.

Well, I hate to say it, but...it kinda is considering how much confusion it can and has caused!

Most people don't see a whole lot of orchids due to issues related to what kinds of orchids they're interested in, so many people don't see the nightmare it can cause when someone comes across a hybrid with a Latinized name!

Yes, there are man-made hybrid orchids with Latin sounding names. The only one that comes to my mind at the moment is -

Paphiopedilum Maudiae!

There are many more hybrids with names that look like this. Trust me, it isn't just one or two, there are a good number of them.

Then there is also the species Paphiopedilum maudiae!!!


I often highly encourage people to observe the correct way of writing out species names vs hybrid names because of this horrible confusion.

So with this, I hope some of the confusion has been cleared up.

[camille1585]

No need to start getting aggressive Bud, the thread was going fine.

Ramon wasn't attacking you, just making a correction. And i have to agree with him. In ecosystem terms invasive does not mean all non -native plants!
*A species that is non-native is also called an introduced species. Doesn't matter if it was introduced by an accident of nature, or as a result of man's activities.

*An introduced species which has settled and reproduces but does not disrupt the original ecosystem balance is called a naturalized species. I think this may be the same as how Ramon uses the word feral. (didn't know feral could be applied to plants)

*But an invasive species is an introduced species which has a negative impact on the original ecosystem (outcompeting native species, growing out of control to cover vast areas and being very difficult to eradicate...)

And with that, back to the original question, as Philip has done.

[Bud]

agressive is not in my nature, Camille...it is merely a correction...
Ramon and The Molly creature have been known to have attacked me or have been harassing me in several occations on reasons beyond my comprehension. So if I see them I am always on a deffensive attack.

invasive species as a widespread nonindigenous species. This one can be too broad, as not every nonindigenous or "introduced" species has an adverse effect on a nonindigenous environment. A nonadverse example is the common goldfish (Carassius auratus), though common outside its native range globally, it is rarely in harmful densities to a native habitat. Just like some orchid species originally from Asia brought to my Manhattan home.

but I guess I was wrong in giving a definition of species when in fact as Phillip has written...the thread was about nomenclature issue rather than definition...