Multi-flowered ghost orchid...

[prem]

I think for now, folks are allowing them to be pollinated naturally, just to get a fix on how well they do without human interference. Although I think it would be a worthwhile venture for the park to partner with commercial orchid growers and work to increase the number of plants in cultivation (through the flasking of artificially set seed pods)...that might help take the collection pressure off of the wild populations.

---Prem

[flhiker]

Originally Posted by isurus79

That's such a great sight! Talk about a healthy and happy plant! Do you guys ever pollinate the flowers out there? I know this is an endangered species so any help would probably be good for the species, or is this type of thing taboo? Just wondering!

Actually I believe that you have to get permission to do anything with anything endangered. Removing seed pods and pollinating flowers would be consider mutilation. In this case you would have to be someone with a doctrine in Botany to even be eligible.

[prem]

I know removal of a pod would technically fall under the definition of mutilation...I'm not sure that hand-pollination of a flower would. In general, I would discourage pollinating them, as I've heard stories from folks who grew cultivated plants that they managed to get the plant to bloom, then they set a seed pod and it died. Naturally, in the wild, we do see plants that have obviously set pods and continue to flower, but it may tax a plant if it were pollinated much more frequently than the natural probabilities cause to happen.

---Prem

[flhiker]

I get my info from a artical

http://www.friendsoffakahatchee.org/pdfs/news_apr07.pdf

put out by the Friends of the Fakahatchee talking about reintroducing the Cigar Orchid to the Strand and in explaining how they where going about it they mentioned that they needed a permit to do this (which included pollinating existing plants) I know where there is a fairly large group of plants and offered to provide them with the location and they replied that they appreciate the offer and would get back to me, but never did. Which makes me think they never received a permit or know where they are themself. Pollinating a Ghost orchid my not be the exact same thing but I think if falls under the same rules.

Originally Posted by prem

I know removal of a pod would technically fall under the definition of mutilation...I'm not sure that hand-pollination of a flower would. In general, I would discourage pollinating them, as I've heard stories from folks who grew cultivated plants that they managed to get the plant to bloom, then they set a seed pod and it died. Naturally, in the wild, we do see plants that have obviously set pods and continue to flower, but it may tax a plant if it were pollinated much more frequently than the natural probabilities cause to happen.

---Prem

[prem]

Dave,
it seems that in this case, they were wanting a permit to pollinate the flowers, grow the pods, and then collect them for artificial propagation and eventual reintroduction into the swamp. Simply pollinating an orchid would be a bit different, I would think.

Again, I'm not advocating doing one thing or another...I'm wondering how the law would be applied if, say, a ranger saw you cross-pollinating two flowers in the field. I guess it would depend on the mood of the ranger at the time.

I know that the spirit of the laws governing conservation of endangered, threatened, and species of commercial interest is to preserve the species...so, if one were to pollinate a few flowers in the field, that would seem to fall in line with the intent of the law, if not the literal interpretation.

For a detailed run-down of the laws governing endangered plant species, I have reprinted them on my website at the following URL:

Florida's Native and Naturalized Orchids - Native Orchids and Florida Law

---Prem

[mikeurquia]

I love the back and forth issue but guys the plants are doing just fine without our help they say 300 or 400 ghosts thats just because of funding and because those are the ones probably found if I found 170 ghosts in 1 year I know there must be 1,000's easily mike

[prem]

I do wonder if we, as humans, haven't already had an impact on the populations of giant sphinx moths. We regularly flood the environment with pesticides to kill bugs on our lawns, kill med flies on our citrus crops, kill mosquitoes, etc. etc.

It does seem clear that with Cyrtopodium punctatum pollinators have been impacted by our activities. It would stand to reason that this is not the only species suffering from our presence in Florida.

It is well known that in population mechanics, a population that does not have a high enough birth rate (i.e. seed pod and seedling production) is very vulnerable to environmental impacts and will go extinct. We very well may have to intervene artificially if research seems to prove that the pollinators are in decline.

---Prem

[flhiker]

I agree with you Mike but I have thought that we could experience a hard freeze here again or a major hurricane/with tornados that could wipeout a large portion of them, because they are so localized. Mike and I have covered a very large section of the strand and found beautiful area that looked to be prime locations for orchids and we were hard press to even see a Dingy star or Nocturnum which cover's trees in most area's.

Prem I have wondered the same thing. It seems as humans get smarter nature suffers more. As we make life easier for ours self we don't find out till much later what the impact will be.

[prem]

Dave,
they are not as localized as we used to think...it seems that there are as many or more ghost in areas of the Big Cypress outside of the Strand as inside...perhaps more...except for the impact that we as humans have had on their environment, large tracts (in the form of the Everglades NP and Big Cypress NP) of what used to be their habitat are still in existence, if robbed of some of the larger trees that used to grow there.

---Prem

[flhiker]

I've heard they are in area's of Big Cypress but I have to tell you that I have walked end to end and searched many area's and have not been able to locate one Ghost. Of course Big Cypress is much larger then the Strand I guess it's possible there are more.