Share some pics from the Fakahatchee today - Orchid Board

footTRAX · #1 09-19-2010, 12:03 AM

We were hiking in the Fakahatchee Strand today and saw a ton of gators and CottonMouths. The water was way high. I saw an orchid growing on a huge Royal Palm. A first for me!

http://api.ning.com/files/3TLQcVh3aA...1uO/royal4.png

http://api.ning.com/files/UiycjCQwtz...tIz/royal2.png

http://api.ning.com/files/-FW8Rv5d6h...IqzxB/orc1.png

http://api.ning.com/files/MGBJmIcZ5w...eJi4Wc/ga1.png

thakshila smith · #2 09-19-2010, 12:24 AM

I read your post with many expectations. But saw only mounted dens. What are gators called .? Those are tall trees.
Are those trees in a dry zone?

prem · #3 09-19-2010, 02:52 AM

Mounted dens? Those were not mounted dens. Those were Epidendrum nocturnum and Epi. rigidum. The 'gator' is, of course, Alligator mississippiensis, Florida's state dinosaur.

Trax, did you see any Campylocentrum pachyrrhizum in bloom? I was hoping to make a trip down next week to (hopefully) finally catch this baby in flower.

---Prem

Swamper · #4 09-19-2010, 08:50 AM

Thanks for the pictures foottrax.

footTRAX · #5 09-19-2010, 09:33 AM

We hiked down East Main about 2 1/2 miles. The owner of the old hunting camp was hanging out, so we had a nice long talk with him. The water was very,very,very high! It was about 3 feet deep on both sides of the tram. We didn't get in the water, but we did have a nice hike. We also hiked K2 trail a good distance and I was amazed at the scenery along the way. There are some huge Royal Palms growing along the trail and most of them had something growing on them. I never seen a orchid grow on a Royal Palm before. The picture doesn't do it justice. The orchids were huge! We ran into a huge gator on the trail and it didn't want to move. It was about 9 foot long and was holding it's ground. I finally picked up a Royal palm leaf and threw it next to it and that thing took off really fast. We also walked right next to a cotton mouth and didn't notice it until it jumped into the water. Scary! I am always up for a good swamp walk, but most of the slough was very deep and we were just seeing too many huge gators sliding into where we wanted to go. We still had a great time and I will be back when the water comes down a little.

Chubidubi · #6 09-19-2010, 12:51 PM

WOW now that was an awesome adventure. THANKS for sharing.

prem · #7 09-19-2010, 03:38 PM

Trax, I've seen Campy's on the royal palms down that trail before...as a leafless orchid, they are not as conspicuous as the leafy ones. I had a friend run into a larger gator on that trail...maybe it was the same one? He kept throwing leaves and palm fronds on it and it wouldn't budge for anything. He finally had to get off trail to walk around it.

You were lucky that you finally made your trail-gator move.

---Prem

footTRAX · #8 09-19-2010, 04:11 PM

I know what Ribbon orchids look like, but I didn't see any along the trail. I heard from my friend that there are also Ghost down the trail, but then again the water was super high on both sides. I'm pretty sure they are located on the right side where all the PopAsh trees are growing, but you would need to swim to them right now.
Gator Bait!

Here's a picture I took of a Ribbon Orchid.

footTRAX · #9 09-19-2010, 04:23 PM

Here is a video I took awhile back of some orchids in the Strand.

http://www.youtube.com/v/S9u4gjNsGts?fs=1&hl=en_US

prem · #10 09-19-2010, 07:53 PM

Awesome video! As an aside, though, 'Giant Orchid' is usually the common name reserved for Pteroglossaspis ecristata. What you filmed was Eulophia alta, which can be almost as tall as the tallest ecristata, but not quite.

And I cannot confirm or deny the existence of any ghost orchids down either trail...K2 or East Main.

---Prem