Vanilla Orchid?

[DLFL]

I live in the Panama City,Florida. I found this orchid where I work. someone told me it was a vanilla Orchid. I can not find anything to confirm this. What do you think?
Thanks,
Dick Lambert

[Dorothy]

I can tell you it's definitely not a vanilla orchid that I am aware of. Vanillas grow more like a bean stalk .. and the flower is more trumpet-like or cattleya-looking.
I hope someone can be of more assistance in identifying it.


This link gives you an idea of what vanilla orchids look like .. it's a google search
vanilla - Google Image Search

[PuddleMonk]

Originally Posted by Dorothy

I can tell you it's definitely not a vanilla orchid that I am aware of. Vanillas grow more like a bean stalk .. and the flower is more trumpet-like or cattleya-looking.
I hope someone can be of more assistance in identifying it.

I had the same idea. Unfortunately I can't make a suggestion as to what it could really be.

Richard

[cb977]

Sorry but it's definitely not a vanilla...vanilla is a vine. Although there are more than one type of vanilla, each having a different bloom, this flower does not look like any I've seen. I wish I could've given you some more help

[matucana]

Hi DLFL,

are you sure that is is an orchid? While thinking of a monopodial orchid with a maxillaria-like flower, nothing comes to my mind. Can you check again if the inner petals look the same or if one of them is a lip? Does the flower has the other orchid characteristics, column, anther cap, pollinia (http://www.orchidlady.com/pages/orch...Anatomy.html)?

[DLFL]

Matucana ,
The bloom fell off shortly after this picture was taken. If it blooms again I will get some more photos.

All,
I sent photos to Dr. Williams, University of Florida , an orchid specialist. I hope to hear from him.
I also checked the Vasculiar Plant Atlas, University of Florida , which list plants by county and names. The plant I found is not in their Atlas.
ISB: Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants
Vascular Plant Collection: University of Florida Herbarium (FLAS)

[Mahon]

Interesting plant! Definitely not an orchid, though... I will look into what this plant is... hopefully I will find something.

-Pat

[Dorothy]

DLFL - WOW! a new discovery!
Maybe you can name it

[DLFL]

This from Dr. Prem Subrahmanyam of the University of Florida,"unfortunately, that flower is not an orchid. It is commonly known
as the pawpaw (Asimina sp. - which species it is would be hard to ID from
the photo). These are common in dry pine and mixed pine/oak forests.
One bonus, however -- the plant produces small fruits that ripen in
autumn and are edible, provided bugs and other critters don't get to
the fruits first."

Dick Lambert

[Dorothy]

Aww .. oh well .. you can't name it but perhaps you can harvest the fruit and let us know how it tastes.