Florida Native Orchid Blog Updates

[prem]

We have recently added a number of articles to our blog:

Florida's Native Orchids





Subjects include poetry, the Corkscrew Swamp ghost orchid, the rare and elusive Triphora craigheadii, the common and beautiful Florida Butterfly Orchid, and the Bearded Grass Pink (Calopogon barbatus).





I also have my final speaking engagements coming up. Be sure to check out the embedded Google calendar on my blog page to see the scheduled dates, times and places for these.

Be sure to check out the native orchids website:

Florida's Native and Naturalized Orchids

for updated info/gallery pages on the Grass Pink (Calopogon tuberosus), the Ghost Orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii), the Rose Pogonia (Pogonia ophioglossoides), the Rosebud Orchid (Cleistes bifaria), and Craigshead's Noddingcaps (Triphora craigheadii).

---Prem

[got ants]

Prem, I really love your site, but it's woefully lacking on many epiphytes like the epidendrums and oncidiums. Particularly those of south florida, like Oncidium boothiana, Epi. floridense, Epi. amphistomum, Epi. rigidum, Epi. strobiliferum, Prosthechea cochleata, and Oncidium floridanum, Cyrtopodium punctanum, and I'm sure more..

But still, your work is well appreciated.

[prem]

All in good time. I have a number of photos of the southern epiphytes that I have not had a chance yet to put up. My first goal is to convert all the existing plant pages over to the new data-driven format before adding new material.

---Prem

[stefpix]

Is the Calopogon related to a reed stem Epidendrum? a vendor sent me a free keiki of a "native Florida orchid" that was just labeled pink epi. Wonder if it is that. I have been googling but I can only find the blooms but not pictures of the plant/ leaves. Has not bloomed for me yet but is growing with vigor in leca. anyway great photos, great flowers in your post. thanks!

[stefpix]

I guess not... blooms reminded me of ground epis

[prem]

Stefano, I am wondering if you were sent a keiki of a radicans-type reed-stem Epidendrum. They do tend to escape into wild places near housing developments where these are planted as ornamentals.

To answer your question about Calopogon, specifically, they are not related to Epidendrums at all, but are related to Phaius, Bletilla, Bletia, and Spathoglottis.

---Prem

[stefpix]

thanks. Not sure what it is. it is pretty compact short, has a reddish tinge and has not flowered yet. I have a reed stem that has gotten really tall and has larger leaves. The one i have no ID other than pink epi looks vaguely like an Oerstedella centradenia but with chunkier stems and more succulent leaves. The Calopogon looks great. wonder why is not more common in cultivation.

[prem]

Calopogons are actually becoming more common in cultivation, their culture being similar to that of many temperate-region carnivorous plants. They are typically only available for purchase during the fall/winter months when their corms are dormant.

---Prem

[Justin Parkkonen]

Prem,

Thank you for your updates and dilligent work. I check your blog regularly and it is nice to see some activity!

Best Regards,
Justin Parkkonen

[prem]

Justin, are you planning on coming to the Martin Co. OS meeting on Thursday?