Mt Picaho Panama

[Roberta]

#1 looks like it might be a Lepanthes, based on the "remains" of previous blooms behind the flower. #3 looks a lot like Specklinia endotrachys but I don't know if the location supports that ID.

[MrHappyRotter]

Originally Posted by Roberta

#1 looks like it might be a Lepanthes, based on the "remains" of previous blooms behind the flower. #3 looks a lot like Specklinia endotrachys but I don't know if the location supports that ID.

IOSPE says Specklinia/Pleurothallis endotrachys occurs in Panama at high elevations and the flowers do look like a good match.

I was thinking the original photo and photo #3 look like the same species (though I could be wrong). If they are the same thing, though, the description of S. endotrachys (14 inch tall epiphyte) doesn't quite match up with Curtis2010's description of a 6 foot tall terrestrial.

Are there any giant sized relatives that you know of?

[Curtis2010]

Originally Posted by MrHappyRotter

IOSPE says Specklinia/Pleurothallis endotrachys occurs in Panama at high elevations and the flowers do look like a good match.

I was thinking the original photo and photo #3 look like the same species (though I could be wrong). If they are the same thing, though, the description of S. endotrachys (14 inch tall epiphyte) doesn't quite match up with Curtis2010's description of a 6 foot tall terrestrial.

Are there any giant sized relatives that you know of?

Just to clarify the numbering references. Im starting with the originally posted individual photo as #1, then the second group posted starting with #2.

The originally posted photo (#1) and #4 are of the same variety.



---------- Post added at 07:38 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:22 PM ----------

Originally Posted by MrHappyRotter

Sounds like lots of fun! I would love to do something like that one day.

I would recommend posting clear photos of both the flower and vegetative parts of the plant for ID purposes. This is almost always helpful when trying to ID wild orchids, in situ (along with location data and size information, which you provided).

...

It was brutal. Our objective was to scout a route between Mount Totumas Cloud Forest Lodge (awesome place, owned by a friend) and Mt Picacho...we failed miserably at that...no one in their right mind would attempt this route again. To be fair it is extremely challenging terrain and I dont think there is an easy route.

We just managed to snap a few phone pics of orchids along the way. The summit of Picacho is saturated with orchids, I would like to go back up again and just spend a couple of days there with better camera gear. The route up from the headquarters of La Amistad Park on the Panama side is not too bad, just overgrown remants of an old trail, but not bad. However, going out by any other route is brutal.

A link to a video sample of our day below. We did 3 rappelling pitches down the western face of Picacho then about 8 hours of this kind of bushwhacking to get to a logging road for a 1 hour hike out. I cant recall the last time I was so exhausted (...and I just did a 3 week trek to Everest Base Camp in October...piece of cake by comparison!)


Dropbox - VID-20181231-WA0003.mp4

[Curtis2010]

Originally Posted by Roberta

#1 looks like it might be a Lepanthes, based on the "remains" of previous blooms behind the flower. #3 looks a lot like Specklinia endotrachys but I don't know if the location supports that ID.

You mean pic #1 in post #3 correct?

Yes, the flower certainly looks like a Lepanthes.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by Curtis2010

You mean pic #1 in post #3 correct?

Yes, the flower certainly looks like a Lepanthes.

Correct. The one that I thought looked a lot like Specklinia endotrachys, I wonder... would be surprised for one of those to be 6' long ... at least mine is a pretty small plant, but it does bloom sequentially and under ideal natural conditions maybe it keeps going... my spikes only get to 6" to 10" before they poop out after 2-3 years, but I don't live in a tropical cloud forest.

[Curtis2010]

Originally Posted by Roberta

Correct. The one that I thought looked a lot like Specklinia endotrachys, I wonder... would be surprised for one of those to be 6' long ... at least mine is a pretty small plant, but it does bloom sequentially and under ideal natural conditions maybe it keeps going... my spikes only get to 6" to 10" before they poop out after 2-3 years, but I don't live in a tropical cloud forest.

I thought that also, it could be an environmental influence. The orchid matt is so thick up there that the bloom spikes are only on the top...thats where my 6' reference came from. Could be the individual plants are not in fact 6', but the matt is that thick so it appears they are.

Literally the summit is covered in a dense high matt of this species.

---------- Post added at 09:19 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:05 PM ----------

Originally Posted by MrHappyRotter

That one is Arundia graminifolia. It's one of several different species referred to as "bamboo orchid".

Thanks for that!

ID'ing that one has been on my todo list for some time. I have some at my place in Guatemala that are well over 6'. They are very common in the region.

[MrHappyRotter]

Originally Posted by Curtis2010

ID'ing that one has been on my todo list for some time. I have some at my place in Guatemala that are well over 6'. They are very common in the region.

Arundia graminifolia is a commonly grown orchid species and a popular garden orchid for folks in tropical / sub-tropical regions. It's not native to your area, but people have spread it throughout the tropics because of its appealing foliage, pretty flowers, and ease of care.