I like this one too. I also grow a few of these, but mine are just pushing out their leaves. You're totally right, it's not always just about the flowers.
Tindo, I have a pic of last year's bloom around here somewhere. I'll see if I can dig it up. It is striking how much they flowers do actually look like a crippled cranefly (tipularidae).
Quote:
Originally Posted by johnblagg
Contrary to what is often said about not growing well due to the need for a fungus ...."which it doen indeed need" I have never had a problem with the small native orchids here growing for me as long as I collected a small amount of the soil where they were growing and used it in the new soil to innoculate the fungus into the new soil....
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John, I've also found this to be true. In fact, I don't believe that you even need to "inoculate" with any collected soil to grow mature orchids in cultivation. I have read (and agree) that dependence on fungi is really more crucial in early stages of growth when growing in the deepest of shade. Some research has shown terrestrial orchids to merely survive in these subpar conditions (probably with the help of fungi), but only bloom when an opening is created by a falling tree, fire, or other means. Now in good light, mature plants bloom and prosper. So the fungi play a role early in life, to help become established, but once mature (or in cultivation) they can thrive without it.
Another contributing factor to this misconception is that many temperate terrestrials have a shallow, but unexpectedly wide root system. Collectors (or poachers) dig up a wild orchid and usually underestimate the damage done to the roots. The plant promptly dies and it is assumed that it must have needed a fungus, when it actually just had all it's active root tips chopped off.
Tipularia is a bit different due to the compact chain-like tubers, and usually do well transplanted.
CRANEFLY ORCHID Tipularia discolor
Linear Mode
