Prosthechea cochleata var. triandra

Family: Orchidaceae •
Genus: Prosthechea •
Species: cochleata var. triandra (Ames) •
Country of Origin: Native to Florida •
Common Names: Cockleshell Orchid, Clamshell Orchid •

This is one of the orchids I'm naturalizing on a tree outdoors, since it is a native to Florida it won't have any problem getting adjusted. As you can see it is already flowering. It has very unusual flowers with a modified lip and twisted hanging petals and sepals. Now that it is established I won't give it any extra care it will flourish on its own. It should form a nice clump. Unfortunately, this species is endangered in Florida(1) due to over-development and habitat loss.
This specimen was purchased from a reputable dealer not collected in the wild. Zones 9-11

P. cochleata is an epiphytic orchid found growing attached to trees in swamps throughout Central America, the West Indies, Colombia, Venezuela, and southern Florida. In Florida, where P. cochleata is listed as endangered, many wild individuals of this species are of a variation that has three anthers, which contain masses of pollen. In most of its range, P. cochleata commonly has only one anther. This has led some taxonomists to conclude that individuals of P. cochleata in Florida may all be descended from a single plant, whose tiny seed may have been transported there by a storm or a bird.(2)

Plants to 60 cm. Stems: pseudobulbs slightly spaced, ovoid to ellipsoid, usually elongate, flattened, 3–15 × 1–3.5 cm. Leaves 1–3, oblong-lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 5–40 × 1–6 cm. Inflorescences racemes, rarely paniculate, pedunculate, elongate, loosely few-flowered, to 45 cm, base with 1 or 2 spathes. Flowers not resupinate, successive, usually 3–4 open at a time, sometimes with capsules present, green to yellowish green with a few purplish spots near base; sepals and petals similar, hanging, twisted, linear-lanceolate, 25–35 × 3–6 mm; lip deep purple, orbiculate-cordate, concave, 1.2–2.3 × 1.5–3 mm, base whitish marked with conspicuous purple veins, calli 2, yellowish, cushionlike, apex sharply mucronate; anthers 3, middle anther with 4 pollinia, laterals with 2 each, orange; column short, stout, 6–10 mm, apex 5-toothed. Capsules 2–4 × 0.8–1.5 cm.
Flowering Oct--Mar; fruiting Nov--May. In hammocks and cypress swamps, on trees and rocks; 0--30 m; Fla.
The autogamous, 3-anthered Prosthechea cochleata var. triandra is the only variety found in Florida (Broward, Collier, Miami-Dade, Lee, Martin, Monroe counties, and Florida Keys), probably because of the absence of a pollinator. Throughout the rest of the distribution of the species, 3-anthered, abnormal individuals seldom occur, and no populations have been reported. The 1-anthered var. cochleata occurs in Mexico, West Indies, Central America, and northern South America.(3)

(1) http://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/Plant.aspx?id=2720
(2) http://www.usbg.gov/plant-collections/conservation/Encyclia-cochleata.cfm
(3) http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242102289


Prosthechea cochleata var. triandra by Eric Bronson is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at www.flickr.com

Blc. x Bc. 'Morning Glory' x 'Maldosa'

Here is another one of my beautiful winter blooming orchids. This orchid should be fragrant at night, but I haven't smelled it yet. I try to stick with species orchids, but every once in awhile I discover a hybrid I just can't live without. Like this little gem. This is my Christmas present to you!

Happy Holidays everyone!
Eric



Family: Orchidaceae •
Genus: Brassavola x Cattleya x Laelia •
Species: N/A •
Country of Origin: N/A •
Common Names: Blc. x Bc. 'Morning Glory' x 'Maldosa'


Blc. x Bc. 'Morning Glory' x 'Maldosa' by Eric Bronson is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at www.flickr.com

Orchids and their Flowers

Just some pictures of all the orchids that are blooming right now. I know I just posted on some of these see below* but they are to beautiful not to share again! Most of these are Dendrobium either hybrid or species. I've included a couple other genus as well .

Enjoy,
Eric


Dendrobium 'MC. Yellow Stripe'


Dendrobium 'Thong Chai Gold'
http://ilikerareplants.blogspot.com/2008/09/dendrobium-thongchai-gold.html


No id Dendrobium White


No Id Dendrobium Purple


Dendrobium bigibbum compactum?


Dendrobium bullenianum
http://ilikerareplants.blogspot.com/2008/07/dendrobium-bullenianum.html
*I know I just posted on this but just look at the flowers!


Dendrobium bigibbum compactum
http://ilikerareplants.blogspot.com/2008/09/dendrobium-bigibbum-compactum-hybrid.html

Oncidium 'Sharry Baby' mmmmm smells like chocolate!
*I know I just posted on this but just look at the flowers! and the smell heavenly!


Spathoglottis sp. this is a ground orchid






Orchids And Flowers by Eric Bronson is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at www.flickr.com

Naturalizing Orchids

So I've been naturalizing orchids on the trees around my yard. A lot of people use nylon stockings and/or sphagnum moss. Me, I just take a little cotton string and tie said orchid to a tree. Looks like it's just about ready for me to cut the string off. What you see here is a Brassavola nodosa 'Mas Mejor' x 'Remar' a highly fragrant orchid growing on my 'Neelum' mango tree. These orchids smell at night. So, I'm hoping the fragrance will be carried inside when I open up the house in our cooler months, luckily it coincides with it's blooming season. I've done a couple other orchids on different trees. I'll post some pictures soon. Also, I'll update with new photos as things progress, these grow fast!



Naturalizing Orchids by Eric Bronson is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at www.flickr.com.

Cirrhopetalum lepidum

Family: Orchidaceae •
Genus: Cirrhopetalum •
Species: lepidum (Bl.) Schltr. •
Country of Origin: southeast Asia •
Common Names: •

This is another one of my mini orchids that has a home in my bedroom window with my other Bulbophyllums. It's in a 4 inch clear plastic pot with a medium-size bark mix. Like most of the Bulbos it has a funky smell when it blooms, sort of like rotten flesh. Please click the pictures to view in the large format.




Cirrhopetalum lepidum by Eric Bronson is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at www.flickr.com.

Microterangis hariotiana

Family: Orchidaceae •
Genus: Microterangis •
Species: hariotiana (Kraenzl.) Senghas •
Country of Origin: Comoros Islands •
Common Names: •

This is another one of my mini orchids that has a home in my bathroom window. It's in a 4 inch plastic basket with a medium-size bark mix. I just love these miniatures for their small size and a big show of flowers. Please click the pictures to view in the large format, you can really see how small the flowers are by using the pencil for scale.

This genus is found in Africa, Madagascar and the Mascarene Islands as a medium sized monopodial epiphyte that is represented with four species that are short-stemmed, densely leafy with oblong or obovate, unequally and obtusely bilobed apically leaves giving rise to many flowered racemose inflorescence with small flowers with the sepals and petals free, similar as well as an entire or dentate lip, a spurred flower with a straight, very short columncarrying 2 pollina with a communal stipe and a very small viscidium.
Found in the Comoros Islands as a minature to small sized, warm growing, epiphytic, monopodial orchid with ligulate, unequally and obtusely bilobed apically leaves that blooms on an axillary, pendant, laxly many flowered inflorescence carrying the tiny, yellow-orange flowers below the plant. Flower Size 1/8" [.6 cm]
Synonyms: Angorchis hildebrandtii (Rchb.f.) Kuntze 1891; *Angraecum hildebrandtii Rchb. f. 1878; Chamaeangis hildebrandtii (Rchb. f.) Garay 1972
excerpt from http://www.orchidspecies.com/chamaengishariotiana.htm



Microterangis hariotiana by Eric Bronson is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at www.flickr.com.

Ascps. Jiahos Orange Jiaho

This beautiful and strange little hybrid blooms multiple times every year. It's a small plant with flowers about 1.5 inches that grow in bunches. Ascps. is short for Asconopsis which is a hybrid of Ascocentrum x Phalaenopsis. I grow it in a terracotta pot with sphagnum moss. This plant is with a group of plants that sit on the windowsill in my bathroom, enjoying all the extra water and humidity. With a southern exposure they get more sun in winter than summer. Please view in the large format to really enjoy the beauty of these flowers.




Family: Orchidaceae •
Genus: Ascocentrum x Phalaenopsis •
Species: Hybrid •
Country of Origin: N/A •
Common Names: Ascps. Jiahos Orange 'Jiaho' •


Ascps. Jiahos Orange 'Jiaho' by Eric Bronson is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at www.flickr.com.

Ascocentrum garayi syn. Ascocentrum miniatum

Family: Orchidaceae •
Genus: Ascocentrum •
Species: garayi •
Country of Origin: Southeast Asia •
Synonyms: Ascocentrum miniatum •
Common Names: •

I got this beauty from RF Orchids, probably three or four years ago and it has bloomed consistently every since. It seems there has been a name change since I bought it. Since RF has adopted the new name for the plants they are presently selling. I'll assume mine A. garayi as well. It gets water daily (it's in the shower) and strong filtered light. I only fertilize my orchids once in a blue moon. This is one of my favorite orchids you can see why!!!!


Ascocentrum garayi syn. Ascocentrum miniatum by Eric Bronson is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at www.flickr.com