miniature orchid, need ID

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Like I said, I think yours is producing a seed pod. That much I'm sure of. So if you're counting on the flower in your pic to open, it won't.

If it is a new species of Jacquiniella with purple flowers then the flowers are tubular and don't open up fully.

If it isn't, I don't know what to tell ya.

[shakkai]

I agree that it probably isn't Scaphyglottis. My Scaphyglottis have visible pseudobulbs and two leaves from the top of the p-bulb. If the mature growths look like those in the photo except not as green, then I'd say we can rule out anything with obvious psuedobulbs.

I think I agree with Pat in that it looks to be a relative of Epidendrum more than anything else - I'm just not familiar enough with all of them to hazard a guess.

Just based on the plants morphology, I'd say the thick leaves indicate that it is adapted to going through a dry period, and it is probably used to growing in fairly high light. Not much help with temps, as Costa Rica varies quite a bit depending on altitude, I think.

[shakkai]

I just got a message back from a friend of mine who lives in Costa Rica - I sent him a message to see if he could recognise what this one might be. His response is:

Jacquiniella globosa
(Jacq.) Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 7: 124
(1920)

this plant grows very nicely at intermediate climate from
500 to 2000 meters, very good lighting conditions, I think
there is a bunch of them on the trees above my backyard

If you read this, Daniel!

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

I grow Jacquiniella leucomelana 'Chocolatey Cane'.

If your plant is a Jacquiniella sp. it does grow intermediate. Growth slows down in winter, but it continues growing. Jacquiniella can take short dry spells during the fall and winter months. Humidity should be 50% or higher. Protect from severe climatic swings. It grows in shade to bright shade. Canes get darker with brighter light and age.

DON'T GROW IT UNDER CATTLEYA BRIGHT CONDITIONS! You'll fry it.

If it's Jacquiniella, they bloom sporadically year round. The flowers are tiny (1/8") and don't open well (they're tubular). Unless this species has a different bloom cycle of course.

Jacquiniella grows like wildfire. You will have a specimen plant after a year or two.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

If it's not, I can offer up one more genus of plants as a possibility. Again it's a guess.

Maybe it's a Fernandezia.

[Corpus Callosum]

Well I found a field guide to the orchids of CR and it seems the only Jacquiniella species with 1-2cm long leaves like mine, is globosa, so I do think that is what it is. Also, while I was 'told' it has purple flowers, that person could have been wrong.

King_of_orchid_growing, sorry I overlooked your original comment of that being a seed pod. Is there something I can do with the seed pod (perhaps send to someone to germinate)?

I saw something else I got some shots of. Is this a seed pod that has dried out, or a flower that has bloomed and I must have not seen and has now died out?







Finally, here is a full shot that shows the older mature stalks (as requested), which haven't done anything since I got them and never were able to adjust to my conditions.. all the top growth is new from the past 6 month;

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

The cane in the recent photo of your plant has one seed pod developing. The other two were seed pods that burst. One of the two seed pods that burst have just recently busted open. I can still see some seed still inside the dried pod and on one of the dried flowers. So far, you have two developing seed pods on your plant, but there might be a few more.

I don't know what you can do about the seeds on the dried flower, but you can still harvest the seeds inside the dried seed pod. Just carefully remove it and put it inside a coffe filter and seal it up temporarily. Don't let it get contaminated with dirt or debris. From what I see, the seeds appear to still be viable because they're yellow (not certain).

You could also try to carefully remove the dried out bud and put in the same coffee filter as the pod.

Call Troy Meyers Conservatory [(360) 598-6427] , he'll be able to help you out. His company is in Poulsbo, WA which means you gotta call PST. If he asks how you found out about his company tell him Philip from Pirates told you.

Sending it to a lab is a better bet to getting seed grown Jacquiniella than you trying to do it yourself (since you're new at it). That's how I did it with the original Jacquiniella leucomelana. The Jacquiniella leucomelana 'Chocolatey Cane' I currently own is the seedling from my original stock. The cultivar name 'Chocolatey Cane' is the name I gave it.

Don't expect to get a lot of seedlings from this batch. You'll be lucky to end up with 25 seedlings. It's more likely you'll receive less. Troy will let you know.

This is a rarity in the trade. I got my Jacquiniella leucomelana from Andy's Orchids. He no longer carries this plant because it doesn't sell very well. So be careful with your Jacquiniella globosa and everyone can enjoy it in the future.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

By the way, orchid seeds look like yellow dust.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

You know now that I look at it more clearly, just remove the dried capsules and dried bud in one go. They look like they're easily removable with one cut to the one dried spike they're on.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

I forgot, leave the developing seed pod alone. Let it grow on the plant first. It should take about 2 to 3 months before the Jacquiniella globosa pod will split. This is a considerably short wait compared to the 1 to 1 1/2 years it takes for a Phalaenopsis pod to mature.