Any ideas - Orchid Board

jpchandler207 · #1 03-26-2012, 10:27 AM

Hi all,
My partner saw an orchid plant attached to a felled tree outside Bangkok. He brought it home and we nursed it to fine health. Recently, it sent up 4 flower stalks and just yesterday one of the buds bloomed. WOW! It is beautiful. Can someone lead me in the right directions as to what it might be?
Thanks
Joe C.

gnathaniel · #2 03-26-2012, 11:39 AM

Looks like a Myrmecophila (Schomburgkia), maybe tibicinis? Definitely not a Thai native; probably someone planted it on the tree, though it could be a seedling of a naturalized population. Very cool find and great job on nursing it back to health!

--Nat

jpchandler207 · #3 03-26-2012, 11:45 AM

Thanks, Nat.
I can't wait until all of the blossoms are in bloom. It will be quite spectacular. I will investigate Myrmecophila further.
Thanks,
Joe

gnathaniel · #4 03-26-2012, 11:53 AM

You're welcome, Joe! Myrmecophila is one of my favorites among genera I probably can't grow in my windowsills.

They really are drop-dead gorgeous, I've seen some amazing specimen plants grown outdoors in Florida. Watch out for ants, though, the generic name is from Greek for 'ant-loving' and refers to the fact that they have hollow pseudobulbs in which ants often nest. I'd be interested to know whether Thai ants (hopefully not nasty stinging ones) will colonize in the same way as neotropical ones.

--Nat

jpchandler207 · #5 03-26-2012, 11:56 AM

Again, thanks for the suggestion. I looked up Myrmecophila and read that they have a symbiotic relationship with ants. We noticed the prevalence of ants were concerned that the ants may be harming them. I will now stop spraying them with insecticide!

jpchandler207 · #6 03-26-2012, 11:57 AM

(We must have been writing at the same time!)