I need your Mormodes expertise

[dabblin-n-orchids]

i have been lurking on the forum for forever and a day waiting for something to bloom so i have something to post about. but that is neither here nor there.

I am writing a paper for my Developmental Evolutionary Biology class about sex determination in plants and the differences between monecious and diecious species and Mormodes prove to be a fascinating intermediate between the two strategies (and as soon as i have the space i am DEFINITELY going to try to get my hands on at least one of these guys ) . I was hoping that y'all would share your ample knowledge about these fascinating orchids or at least be able to point me in the correct direction so i can find as much information as possible on what leads a plant to produce male, female, and hermaphroditic flowers.

thank you in advance for any assistance you can provide.

[Louis_W]

Interesting one!

I'll tell you the limited theories that I know, but to both find out more and buy plants Fred Clarke at Sunset Valley Orchids is a good person to talk to. He is very knowledgeable about Catasetinae and he has high quality plants. I have met him and by all other accounts he is very helpful and responsive to emails. Im sure he also has contact info for the experts in the field.

Anyways onto the plants. Logically the plants will bloom female if they are in good conditions because they will have the energy needed to produce seed, which is much more intensive than merely producing pollinia. In his lecture Fred Clarke says that such is his experience in cultivation as well, and you will have to ask him but it seems to be heavily influenced by light. When the plant is struggling in any way it will produce male flowers in order to get its genes out there while saving itself the energy. This is really just a theory but it seems solid, but I have no idea what would cause the plant to produce hermaphroditic flowers or diecious flowers on the same inflorescence.