Epidendrum viviparum
 

Very interesting species, the flowers have white lips and creamy petals and sepals. The floral stem produces a profusion of keikis. If you let them on the plant, the keikis produce new keikis and the new keikis more keikis and so on! The keikis weight end up bending the floral stem over and eventually the keikis attach to a branch or rock becoming independent plants. It is an interesting multiplication strategy also seen in other orchid species.

Close up:
Epidendrum viviparum on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Plant and lip detail:
Epidendrum viviparum Lindl. on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

I have been fascinated with viviparous plants of all kinds for as long as I can remember. I try to get at least one water lilly each year, just to watch the little plantlets float around the mother plant. Not only is this Epidendrum fun, the flowers are really lovely too. Home run on this one, Mauro! Thanks for showing us.

Kim

My pleasure, Kim!