Okeechobee Ridge County Park

[got ants]

Prem, I think you may be right. Looking at the orchid species website, the link you posted shows a more round psuedobulb, while the link I posted of the petersii shows a more elongated p-bulb. All the plants I have seen have round p-bulbs.

[stefpix]

I love this! if someone of you FL residents has some Oeceoclades in their mulch I would be happy to get some in a USPS box... could pay for shipping. Looks like a Sanseviera with nice flowers!

[flhiker]

Originally Posted by stefpix

I love this! if someone of you FL residents has some Oeceoclades in their mulch I would be happy to get some in a USPS box... could pay for shipping. Looks like a Sanseviera with nice flowers!

No problem. I will let you know when I gather some up.

[prem]

My cultivated O. maculata, found at a pizza place a mile or so from my house, is sending up a flower spike.

---Prem

[Justin Parkkonen]

Originally Posted by prem

Of course, there is some debate as to whether this is a true exotic (i.e. escaped from human cultivation) or naturally introduced...like flamingos and cattle egrets. I hear that they grow all over the Caribbean as well, which could be a source for blown-in seed...either that, or a hurricane sucking up seed in Africa and pouring it down in our state.

As I understand it, the escaped Eulophia being found more frequently in south Florida is E. graminea, and not E. petersii.

---Prem

Prem,

What do you think the odds of this being native are? If it is indeed native, I will photograph it this weekend.

Thanks.

[Swamper]

Zero. Introduced naturally or by man but definitely introduced. Of course you can still photograph it...Fakahachee Sunday anyone?

[got ants]

I will put this out there, with no scientific proof...

Both of these orchids being discussed, seem to grow faster than weeds. I have them growing in my mulch and about a month ago, I sprayed the mulch with round up. It killed all the weeds, but these orchids (Eulophias) still come popping up through the mulch. That, and given the large pseudobulb they make, I can easily see them coming over to the new world with the slave trade. Possibly as food.

Even the Oeceoclades macalata has fairly decent size p-bulb, if not visible, but it's there under the mulch.

If they were true natives, they'd be everywhere, given the fact the seem to grown super fast under the worst of conditions.

[stefpix]

Someone had sent me an Eulophia graminea and after a while I put it on my roof. It was the only orchid that I have that has been eaten by a squirrel. They ate the whole large bulb. Usually they do not eat the whole plant. Maybe a bulb tastes good. After all Taro is Colocasia or something.

If you see some Oceoclades and so on well do not use herbicide. I will pay for postage!

[fotofashion]

Stefano: You must be visited by the same squirrels that visit me. Some years ago I got out of orchid-keeping because the little monsters ate my plants and killed them. This year they got into a NOID oncidium and ate several of the bulbs before I got it covered with nylon net. They also have removed the back shields from my platyceriums. Fortunately, they have not eaten the newly emerging shields, yet. (They may not be eating the platy's maybe using them for nests as winter is approaching but still I'm not too happy about their depredations.) I would cover them also but I'm afraid they will get into the orchids again.
Beverly A.

[stefpix]

They did not eat my orchids in general apart the Eulophia.
I put a lot of fresh red ripe habaneros on top of the pots, slightly blended with garlic and water and it worked. I think one morning they may have eaten one and they bit off a large chunk of a plastic pot and some plant branches but never came back. They love my mango seeds and killed some seedlings. But fresh really hot pepper and garlic work.
All mammals are sensitive to capsacin. I also been growing hot peppers in pot and I put the plants I cared most in between hot pepper pots.