Houlletia brocklehurstiana Habitat

marcelorodriguesbio has added a photo to the pool:

Houlletia brocklehurstiana Habitat

Simplesmente a orquidea mais espetacular da Mata Atlântica…

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Rare Orchids – An Overview

Orchids are one of the most ancient plants still in existence. Their life began in primordial times, with the species being highly adaptable so that the orchid could grow and change as the Earth itself did. Rare orchids are being protected as different eco-systems collapse.

With their ingrown sense of survival, the orchid lives in every climate, excluding solid ice. They do not necessarily need soil, as they can grow symbiotically in nature. Orchids will live in trees, mountains, bogs, grasslands, rocks, and forests. The roots of orchids will grow in the air, as well as laterally. Today there are over 35,000 orchid species living in every corner of the world. If the orchid doesn’t have what it needs, the plant is clever enough to make the world around it create certain living conditions. Ants have been coerced into living with the orchid so that the acidic content can be put to use within the plant. Since orchids have existed before the birds and the bees, they have found a way to mimic pollinators to trick them into propagating.

Sometimes living in such harmony can become difficult for rare orchids. Orchids have become rare due to the care they need to thrive subsiding or the care is overdone. Other reasons such as deforestation and/or imminent extinction allow orchids to be added to the rare list.

Following are some examples of rare orchids.

- Ladyslipper orchids grow wild in Britain and have been harvested so much they are now on the verge of extinction.
- Phal Amboinensis flava is an albino orchid discovered thirty years ago in Singapore and whose stems grown indefinitely.
- Maxilliara Mombarchoenis and Epidendrum are found only on the Nicaraguan Mombacho Mountaintops.
- Bulbophyllum Hamelini is suffering from Madagascar’s deforestation.
- Fly Orchids disappear in the Netherlands every time their forests get thick.
- Habenaria Psycodes is located in the South Appalachians and is rarely seen.

More recently in 2007, in an ancient tropical forest in Vietnam’s Green Corridor, a new orchid species was found. The specialty of this species is that they are leafless. Not only that, but they have absolutely no chlorophyll or green pigmentation. The forests of the Annamites breed many other rarities, as well. In 2003, it was reported that in dense evergreen forests of Similipal, Orissa there are housed 93 species of orchids. Among these lives the rare orchid Goodyera Hisipada.

On the other side of the globe, in Washington State, lives the Phantom Orchids. Leafless and completely white, the plant will stay dormant for up to seventeen years after blooming just once. Development and logging is destroying the Phantom Orchid’s habitat and is a protected species in Canada.

More than 3,000 orchid hybrids are created annually. Sizes, shapes, and colors abound in the orchid families. There are certainly enough orchids to thrive on the planet. However, some rare orchid species will continue to dwindle and meet extinction if mankind continues to destroy their habitats. Some rare orchids are dying out not because of man, but due to low propagation. The smaller specie classes will need to grow to continue.

As you can see, the rare orchids are far outweighed by the sheer number of living orchids. Who knows – with the brain that these plants have, maybe the devolution of the rare orchids will stop and arise in evolution as the orchid yet again adapts to its ever-changing world.

Article courtesy of:

Mel Beauchamp is an orchid enthusiast. For more great tips and advice on Rare Orchids,visit Easy Orchid Care Secrets

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Maxillaria nigrescence orchid

Although this genus has captured the attention of many orchids growers, it has not achieved the heights of popularity reached by many other genera. This is perhaps surprising for it embraces a range of growing habits and most species have colourful, interesting flowers. With about 300 species, Maxillaria is a highly significant genus and provides an abundance of choice for growers who find these orchids to their liking.
These orchids are native from  Mexico to West Indies and various countries in Central and South America, extending well into tropics of Argentina. While many found in the warmer forests, the genus reaches its greatest variety in the mountains especially the Andes in Peru and Brazil where most species occur.
These orchids are easy to cultivate and they like abundant air movement, regular watering except for a two or three week period after the pseudobulbs have matured when plants are kept on the dry side. They don’t like excessive light and prefer more shadier situations.
My Maxillaria is var nigrescense and in autumn flowering with these beautiful burgundy color star shape flowers. The flowers arise in clusters of two or three from each pseudobulb. This species native to cloud forests at about 2,500m  altitude and found in British Honduras and Guatemala. (another picture down the page)

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The Anatomy of an Orchid

The lower part of an Orchid is made up of the stem and root system. This is where water and vital nutrients become introduce d to the Orchid and then travel up the stem to various areas of the Orchid in which the energy is required. Pseudobulbs found within the root system of some but not all Orchids are extremely effective at absorbing and storing water. They need to be as well because in a lot of natural environment where Orchids grow, such as rainforests, the rain comes hard and fast so Orchids much store as much water as quickly as they can.

The stem of the Orchid supports the life giving leaves of the plant. Miniature Orchids have relatively fragile stems whereas other varieties of Orchid are known to have strong and sturdy stems.

You can tell if the leaves of your Orchid are healthy just by looking at them. Healthy leaves are bright green, wrinkleless and firm. If the leaves of your Orchid are of a dark green colour this means that your Orchid is compensating for a lack of light.

The spike of your Orchid supports the buds and then in turn the beautiful blooms of the plant. On the spikes of some Orchids you will see a single bloom or a cluster of flowers, such as on Cattleya Orchids. Whilst some varieties, such as Phalaenopsis Orchids, bloom along the length of the spike.

The flower is the most delicate and beautiful part of any Orchid and varies in appearance, colour, size and shape vastly between Orchid families and species. Despite this diversity all Orchid flowers have the same major parts.

orchid-anatomy

Left over from the bud of the Orchid there are generally 3, some have 2, sepals on a flowering Orchid. There is a dorsal sepal said to be the top of the Orchid and 2 lateral sepals at the bottom of the flower.

There are always 3 petals on an Orchid, the lowest petal is referred to as the lip or labellum. This lip on the flower of your Orchid is what is used by insects to help them whilst they pollinate the flower of the Orchid. The lip of your Orchid is therefore where you will see the most amazing and wonderful colours, as it will attract insects that can pollinate your Orchid. Lady Slipper Orchids in particular have a much more rounded lip than other species of Orchid, which is also called a cup.

It is amazing that while Orchids are all made with the same essential parts and abilities there are still so many wondrous species for you to grow. This for me is why Orchids are so addictive, as you can always find a new variety that takes your fancy and can be added to your collection.

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Cattleya intermedia alba x walkeriana alba

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Cattleya intermedia alba x walkeriana alba

This primary hybrid was made with 2 alba clones and resulted in finest purely white flowers. The flowers show clearly traits of both parents.

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Epidendrum cochleatum orchid

This orchid known mostly by it’s common names – Clamshell orchid, Cockle Shell orchid or Octopus orchid. This species has the honor of being the first tropical epiphytic orchid to flower at Kew Gardens, England in 1787. 
Its native to Mexico, Central and South America and West Indies, grows in a wide variety of habitats and one of the favourite orchids in cultivation. These orchids are evergreen but have a distinct period of dormancy when watering needs to be reduced. They are easy to cultivate and need plenty of water and fertilising with a lot of air movement during actively growing season. 
The flower heart-shaped and broadly striped grow upwards while the narrow yellow-green petals hang downwards – giving appearance of some exotic sea creature.

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Orchid Plant – Doritaenopsis Fureshing Speckle IN BUD

Product Description
GV Dtps. Fureshing Speckle – 4″ pot size… More >>

Orchid Plant – Doritaenopsis Fureshing Speckle IN BUD

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Flowers Tip for Orchids

Orchids are a things of beauty, one of the most impressive flora you can have at home is an orchid. Because Orchids come from a very large family there is a mammoth departure in the different types of Orchids available on the advertise. Orchids are not the most stubborn florae to take nursing of, but they do neediness some awareness, you can have a significant realize on the orchids you grow.

Wild orchid is just a superb flower that everyone should own, a ferocious orchid has a unique look and form of tumor. Wild orchids have an amazing verity of species, each with its own striking character and pallor. Orchids in common and crazy orchids in particular require that you settle where you think you will place the orchids before you actually buy them, the custody desired for orchids strain that you present them with enough wetness and air spring, and there is a massive difference between placing an orchid at home or have a madcap orchid in your garden.

As a character who knows the importance of flora for stress relief and house decoration I can absolutely say with confidence the orchids supply abundance of pleasure just from watching them, even a role that is completely indifferent to plants will like looking at a thriving orchid, the sizable kind of the orchid family makes it almost impossible for the ordered role to get habitual with a kind of orchid.

Orchid had about 35,000 different species, originally this flower grow on plants and used them as hosts, this doesn’t mean the orchids cannot thrive and grow lacking a hierarchy host. The orchid family, because of its diversity is an extremely adaptable flower, diverge to trendy belief, the orchids are a very well adjusted family of plants.

Orchids are “intended” to appeal insects for reproduction means, by getting the insect to land on the flower, it sticks some of the orchid “signature” on the insect and when this insect than plants the orchid it bares with it the markings of that particular orchid.

Orchids have a well documented story, because of the orchids popularity in almost all parts of the world, many printed books and articles had mentioned the orchid flower and the range of the orchid family in flowers. The earliest written mark of their presence if as Chinese and Japanese portrayal and literature of the circa 700 B.C. in onwards period the orchid was believed to have remedial powers and was used, by many cultures, as a character of a herbal or natural remedy.

Nowadays it is very painless and unfussy to get an orchid at the floweriest, most florist even have orchid flowers which they use in their flower arrangements. The orchids bought at a florist will not last long, but a fixed orchid could be a lot of fun to take bother of at home, you just necessary to find the right location for the orchid, with abundance of humidity and air spring, not exposed to curl and cold, there is an usual check and mistake chapter in which you discern what your orchid likes and dislikes, it is a very interesting person of communication between a flower and a human.

Enjoy orchids, they are a spectacular families of flowers!

Article courtesy of:

Information on oncidium orchid can be found at the Care Of Orchids site.

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