Encyclia ghillanyi

[Rosim_in_BR]

Originally Posted by kavanaru

Mauro,

do you know which are exactly the differences betwenn this species and dichroma? I very often do not agree with Kew Garden position regarding some species, but always try to have more info to base my disagreement... and now, I am waiting for an Encyclia ghillanyi (and one Encyclia randi) to make their way to my collection, and would like to have more information about this species...

P.S.- It was nice, seeing you have both species... (probably from the same source? )

Ramón, these two are sister plants, but not the same species. At least not anymore. The main reason to consider them species apart is the same accepted as valid for so many other pair of similar species (labiata/warneri, loddigesii/harrisoniana etc), their habitats are geographically apart: E. dichroma grows near the Atlantic Ocean in Bahia, where the vegetation is exuberant due to the presence of the ocean and E. ghillanyi 400 km inland, isolated in inselbergs in the middle of what is known as 'caatinga', a semi-desert kind of vegetation. These 400 km of separation were the main reason to keep them apart until last year, when, in order to verify whether they were good species or not, Cassio Van den Berg published the results of a genetic research he did on 135 individuals collected from both populations. The genetic research was made using markers of the type ISSR - Inter Single Sequence Repeats and the results were published during the 55º Brazilian Congress of Genetics. He concludes that there are genetic reasons to keep them apart as good species.
As to the flowers themselves, the only important difference between dichroma and ghillanyi is the petal morphology: broad petals in dichroma and always thin in ghillanyi. For the rest, the flowers are the same.
Ramón, I hope that helps. If you need anything else, let me know.

[kavanaru]

Originally Posted by Rosim_in_BR

Ramón, these two are sister plants, but not the same species. At least not anymore. The main reason to consider them species apart is the same accepted as valid for so many other pair of similar species (labiata/warneri, loddigesii/harrisoniana etc), their habitats are geographically apart: E. dichroma grows near the Atlantic Ocean in Bahia, where the vegetation is exuberant due to the presence of the ocean and E. ghillanyi 400 km inland, isolated in inselbergs in the middle of what is known as 'caatinga', a semi-desert kind of vegetation. These 400 km of separation were the main reason to keep them apart until last year, when, in order to verify whether they were good species or not, Cassio Van den Berg published the results of a genetic research he did on 135 individuals collected from both populations. The genetic research was made using markers of the type ISSR - Inter Single Sequence Repeats and the results were published during the 55º Brazilian Congress of Genetics. He concludes that there are genetic reasons to keep them apart as good species.
As to the flowers themselves, the only important difference between dichroma and ghillanyi is the petal morphology: broad petals in dichroma and always thin in ghillanyi. For the rest, the flowers are the same.

Thanks a lot Mauro... I am not very much into separating species onlybecause of the distribution, as it is often the case of separated populatuion... however, having that supported by genetic data, is strong enough for me to keep them as separate species... Unfortunatelly, these two characteristics are difficult "to see" when just having two plant in front of you... I found somewhere, there differences in sequencial blooming and long rhyzomes (ghillany) versus short rhyzomes and simultaneous blooming (dichroma) but then again in another website, this was mentionned to be not always true... My plant comes from Brazil, and therefore I will keep it as ghillany.. if someone ask, well, the answer will be "it comes from Brazil as ghillany, and because I trust these guys, it si ghillany"

Originally Posted by Rosim_in_BR

Ramón, I hope that helps. If you need anything else, let me know.

well... I need a division of some of your great Catasetum

[Rosim_in_BR]

Originally Posted by kavanaru

well... I need a division of some of your great Catasetum

It's all your fault, my friend! I started with this genus because of your great photos!

[kavanaru]

Originally Posted by Rosim_in_BR

It's all your fault, my friend! I started with this genus because of your great photos!

then, I claim my royalties divide those plants and send them to Switzerland

Mauro, I am just envious of those great Catasetums you have... they are fantastic! and a bit dissapointed itis so difficult to get good Catasetums in Europe.. BUT there is finally a brazilian nursery coming to Europe in 2 months, and this guy is bringing several plants for me I think I had never been so happy waiting for an order of plants as now!! (I am even travelling 7h to an exhibition, in order to pick the plants - don't want them sent by post)

[Rosim_in_BR]

Originally Posted by kavanaru

then, I claim my royalties divide those plants and send them to Switzerland

Mauro, I am just envious of those great Catasetums you have... they are fantastic! and a bit dissapointed itis so difficult to get good Catasetums in Europe.. BUT there is finally a brazilian nursery coming to Europe in 2 months, and this guy is bringing several plants for me I think I had never been so happy waiting for an order of plants as now!! (I am even travelling 7h to an exhibition, in order to pick the plants - don't want them sent by post)

I know how you feel, Ramón! I see so many wonderful plants I would love to get my hands on that simply are impossible to find in Brazil! Nice that you found someone who can bring you the ones you like!!

[got ants]

I can just imagine seeing these in situ...

IOSPE PHOTOS

Some day I'll go to S. America, it's a given.