Quote:
Originally Posted by estación seca
That is an interesting question... why don't the plants in Hidalgo recolonize suitable habitat? The flowers don't seem specialized enough to require a unique pollinator. I can't find reference to where the Hidalgo plants are now. Perhaps they're at a much different elevation than originally.
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Laelias of Mexico (Federico Halbinger and Miguel Soto)
HISTORY: Laelia gouldiana was described by Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach in 1888; the same author mentioned also that the marvelous, dark purple color would be difficult to compare. Because Reichenback did not know the material origin of the plant, he suggested that it was a natural hybrid, probably between Laelia autumnalis and Laelia anceps; this cross had been made many times (Laelia Autoceps), and the result has always been very different (see Janson, 1986; photo 70) and so this suggestion has been discarded. For many years now, all plants of Laelia gouldiana have come from the backyards of a small region in the State of Hidalgo, where they grow semi-cultivated on trees and stone fences.
This is an enigmatic plant, since it is unknown in the wild state, and it does not form fertile capsules. The variation seen in this species is narrow, and it is not improbable that all known specimens represent divisions of the same clone.
DISTRIBUTION: Endemic, probably to the Sierra Madre Oriental. It is only known as a cultivated plant in the State of Hidalgo.
HABITAT: Not known. Fortunately, some plants collected in nature were taken away and planted on the roofs of village houses and on nearby trees; and there they have been growing with almost no caretaking. In the months of October and November, the blooming is impressive. The plants have a tendency to form big clumps, and gigantic specimens are known. They are cultivated most often in region of deep ravines, at an altitude of about 1200 to 1900 meters, almost always on mesquite trees, in a semiarid climate. Annual rainfall is less than 500 mm with no fog or frost in the lower stations.
A specimen collected in 1873 indicates as the locality of origin El Chico, Hidalgo, a famous mining town where the plant no longer exists.
WHERE TO SEE: Huge cultivated plants of L. gouldiana are found on mesquite trees between Venados and Metztitlan. Venados is on road MEX 105, between Pachuca and Zacualtipan. Metztitlan is found westwards from Venados, and is reached by a sinuous road at the bottom of the spectacular gorge of Metztitlan, famous for its numerous endemic cacti.
HYBRIDS: There are 13 registered hybrids with L. gouldiana as ancestor in the preceding generation; none is common in cultivation.
CONSERVATION STATUS: Probably extinct in nature, but there is a great number of plants growing in various towns in Hidalgo and elsewhere at present.
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Orchids of Mexico (Hagsater et al)
Arid zones and scrubs
Unlike the scrubs at high elevation in the northernmost portions of the plateau, those found further south and under warmer conditions bear arboreal cacti that give them a spectacular appearance. One such site, in which arboreal cacti offer a magnificent landscape is the Barranca de Metztitlan, in Hidalgo. Rio Metztitlan runs at the bottom of this ravine and on the riverbanks there are extensive pecan groves and other crops. On the mesquites of the houses along the riverbanks three species of Laelia are cultivated, namely, L. anceps, L. gouldiana, and L. speciosa, all of them known locally as monjitas (little nuns). Laelia anceps and L. speciosa have been found as wild populations along the highest parts of the ravine, but L. gouldiana is known only in a semi-cultured state. Other orchids living in the area are Cyrtopodium macrobulbon and Deiregyne confusa.
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Conservation
Traditional cultivation has resulted in the ex situ conservation of two orchid species that are not known in the wild any longer: Laelia gouldiana (monjita, little nun) and Laelia anceps subsp. dawsonii f. chilapensis (calaverita, little skull). Were it not because some peasants learned how to cultivate them hundreds of years ago, they would not have survived to the present day. Another traditionally cultivated laelia, nearly extinct in nature, is Laelia anceps subsp. dawsonii f. dawsonii, one of the most highly regarded Mexican orchids in worldwide horticulture. The achievement of traditional cultivation of laelias are enormous in a conservation context, providing examples to be followed throughout the world.
Ex situ conservation is usually very expensive and faces many problems, especially because its goal is to maintain a species outside its natural habitat for very long periods. Unlike in situ conservation, it is nearly impossible to preserve the genetic variation and the evolutionary potential of species. Currently there are collections in some countries that are subjected to modern horticultural techniques and may have maintained some orchid species for several years, or exceptionally, up to about a century as in the case of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, United Kingdom. Some species, such as the Vietnamese Pahiopedilum delenatii, have persisted thanks to its successful propagation and marketing, which have allowed hundreds of orchid growers to maintain plants of this species in their collections.
On the other hand, there is evidence that Laelia gouldiana and Laelia anceps subsp. dawsonii f. dawsonii have been cultivated for over a century - perhaps much longer - without complex horticultural techniques or external resources. Those plants are traded and produce revenue, although marginal, for the peasants that grow them. Undoubtedly, they have been able to conserve these species outside their habitat and have made a profit from this resource, which is an example of conservation through use. This unparalleled activity should be maintained and encouraged. Nevertheless, it is in danger of disappearing; some growers have had their plants confiscated and sales banned by the environmental authorities. Had these plants not been cultivated by them - and their ancestors -, the species would have become extinct. A public policy of support and fostering of this successful traditional activity is needed.
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Laelia gouldiana does not form fertile capsules... but
crosses have been made with it. So... ?
There's a natural hybrid between albida and anceps. Evidently there's some overlap in terms of their distribution, blooming and pollinators.
Laelia anceps, L. gouldiana, and L. speciosa overlap in terms of distribution but speciosa is an early bloomer. I think that anceps and gouldiana overlap with blooming... so if gouldiana isn't producing pods then either the problem is compatibility or pollinators.
In order to solve the mystery... we should all chip in for somebody to spend this Fall in Hidalgo. You're the closest to Hidalgo so I nominate you.
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