help (Ludisia discolor)
 

How do I post a picture of an orchid if I don't have it in a url? OK I found it. Is this an orchid and if so what kind?

They generally call them 'jewel orchid' or jewel orchids .... Ludisia discolor

SouthPark is correct on the ID... look carefully at the flowers and you will see that they do have the typical orchid form - bilateral symmetry (side-to side) but not radial (the lip is the "different" petal)

Welcome to the Orchid Board!

Thank You
 

I have been having 2 of these little guys sense inheriting them from my Dad. they have bloomed every year. Is there any way to propagate them?

Nice to have something to remind you of your dad. They can be propagated by stem cuttings. I haven't done this, but people here have mentioned laying them sideways on some sphagnum moss, loose potting soil or perlite. Others root them in water. It's probably better to wait for late spring or summer.

You can use the Search - Advanced Search function in the top maroon menu to look for Luidisia discolor.

They're pretty easy to propagate. I root stem cuttings in sphag frequently. They don't seem to develop a robust root system so I haven't had any trouble moving them into chunky aroid-type potting soil once I get around to it. I've been meaning to try them in fine bark with a little bit of sphag mixed in to see how they do in that. The original pot I bought was in 100% peat moss so they don't seem picky.

Mine are also very happy to live in sphag for as long as I need them to so long as they don't dry out for too long. They'll start dropping lower leaves if they stay dry too long but they'll drop them eventually anyway. I do have one pot in an easily forgettable location and hasn't suffered too badly from the occasional extended drought.

Cap'n, I added your orchid's name to the title...might be helpful for more replies. I've never grown them, but a friend grows a ton of them for resale at a river market. He propagates and refreshes lanky ones just as Dimples and ES are describing.

I see more than one stem coming from the pot. Why not attempt propagating/refreshing one stem, and leave the other alone until you see success? That's the route I'd take.

Roots
 

The ones I have don't have any roots just long segmented stalks. These long stalks are why I'm asking about propagation. They are about 8 to 10 inches long with many segments.

I agree with what WW said about taking a cutting from only one piece if you have two. Start by taking the top few inches off one of them. Lay that cutting sideways on the surface of some barely moist but not soggy wet sphagnum moss. Just nestle it in but don't bury the stem at all.

Put it inside something to keep the humidity up, like a large jar, or put a plastic bag over it. Don't let the leaves touch the sides of the jar or bag. If your home is humid you might not need this step, but not everybody has high humidity.

It should root and begin growing. The bottom part of the stem you cut should branch and you can do it again. Later when you have learned how to do it you can cut the bare stems into pieces with 2-3 leaf scars and do the same thing.

Like I said I would wait for warm weather.

Edit: Here is a photo of a jewel orchid I bought already rooted in sphagnum. There are water spots on the jar so my phone camera had trouble focusing. It's vertical in the pot because it already had roots. I have low humidity in my house so I put it into a large glass vase with plastic on top. There are clay balls in the bottom with some water to keep the humidity up in there. I put it on an inverted plastic food container to keep the pot out of the water so the sphagnum doesn't get too wet.

Attachment 156815

Next to it to the right is another jar terrarium for rooting an epiphytic cactus cutting.