Psychilis macconnelliae - Orchid Board

LauraN · #1 05-23-2009, 08:11 PM

Got this from a friend in the Virgin Islands. The spike is quite long. The flowers stay slightly cupped. No scent that I can pick up.

RosieC · #2 05-24-2009, 10:32 AM

What delicate beauties, I love the colour

LauraN · #3 05-24-2009, 10:42 AM

I had never seen the flowers and on some of my species, I don't look ahead to see what they look like, so that I'll be surprised when they finally bloom for me! I was quite happy with this one...

isurus79 · #4 05-24-2009, 07:23 PM

This is a cool little flower! I OW'ed it and its a member of the Catt family. Never heard of it!

Leisurely · #5 05-26-2009, 05:45 PM

Sure is a cutie Laura and look at all the buds yet to bloom. I'll bet it will be in flower for a long long time.

LauraN · #6 05-26-2009, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leisurely

Sure is a cutie Laura and look at all the buds yet to bloom. I'll bet it will be in flower for a long long time.

Yes, It just keeps putting out new buds!

Walker · #7 06-15-2009, 11:53 AM

I just found this board while Googling for info on Psychilis macconnelliae (also known as "Macconnell's Butterfly" or "Island Peacock").

I have four of these in Houston that I brought from Anegada (in the British Virgin Islands) back in 2003. All four of mine are now in constant bloom, with some of the spikes over 6 feet tall. I support the spikes on plant stakes.

I originally had them all in orchid bark with sphagnum, and they did very little. After 3 years, I repotted one of them in pure bark. I got the idea from how they grow in the wild on Anegada (they are everywhere). On Anegada, these orchids grow above ground, mainly attached to a bush that we call "torchwood"). The roots wrap themselves around the outside of the torchwood down near the base of the bush, and the bloom spikes extend up out of the bush, usually ending about 5 or 6 feet in the air.

Here is a photo of one growing in the wild:

Here is a photo of one attached to the base of a frangipani (plumeria alba) tree:

So, about a year after moving one plant into bark-only, that one started to really look happy, putting on nice new growth. A year later, it presented me with a spike.

Here are my first blooms:

I immediately moved the other plants to bark-only. That was in 2007.

Now, all of them have beautiful flowers.

Here is a photo that I took last October of new spikes:

Those spikes are now over 6 feet long and the tips of them have continuous blooms on them. I need to take some new photos - I have not taken any since last October.

A "history" of my Anegada orchids is at http://bvipirate.com/AnegadaOrchids.

Here are a couple more photos of them in the wild on Anegada:

RosieC · #8 06-15-2009, 02:05 PM

Thanks Walker, it's great to see how they grow in the wild and how you are keeping them. Welcome to Orchid Board.

LauraN · #9 06-15-2009, 05:24 PM

Thank you so much Walker for the history lesson on the macconnelliae!
It is so interesting to see them growing in the wild. I have mounted all of my on either cypress or some petrified oak that I have in my pasture. The one in the photo is the only that is currently blooming, but the others are attaching to the wood very nicely!
I have quite a few of them that a friend collected in St Thomas, it is quite interesting as he had them marked by where they were found, some on cactus, some on rocks, and some on various bushes.
Again, your photos and information are greatly appreciated!
I can't wait to see if there are color variations among the ones that I have...

kinknstein · #10 06-15-2009, 05:31 PM

What a neat species. Thanks to everyone for sharing both the plant and some history behind it!