[OGD] Acriopsis liliifolia and catch-roots
Paul J. Johnson wrote a good account of catch-roots in the neotropics, and asked for first-hand observations from the S.E.Asian area. Of the species in several genera of Asian orchids that form catch-roots, the most common and easily-seen is the widespread Acriopsis liliifolia (Koen.) Ormerod (syn. A. javanica Reinw. ex. Blume). This species occurs from sea-level to at least 1600 m altitude in a range of habitats ... primary and secondary forests (both lowland and montane), plantations and farmland, pine forests, solitary trees in villages waysides, freshwater forests, coastal swamp forest, trees in savannah areas, etc. It occasionally occurs lithophytically, was once recorded growing on tufts of grass near the shore, is one of only a few species that quite happily grows on the stilt-roots of giant Pandanus species, and is the only epiphytic species I know of that will grow on bamboo stems in bamboo forests. It is clearly a versatile species that adapts readily to a wide range of environmental conditions. It is most often seen in very exposed situations such as the trunks and upper branches of dead trees (eg, along forest margins) where it thrives in full sunlight. However, this is only because it is highly visible in such situations ... if you enter the forest and hunt around, you'll find it in just about every possible habitat except total shade. It is worth noting that for an orchid that grows so readily almost anywhere in the wild, it is surprisingly difficult to maintain in cultivation. Transplanted specimens rapidly lose their leaves, then usually develop a rot at the centre of the plant, leading to a rapid radiating die-off of mature pseudobulbs and the consequent loss of the plant. When you find A. liliifolia in the wild, you'll usually (but not always) find an ant's nest. The plant is often associated with nests of small red-brown ants that are locally called fire ants for obvious reasons (possibly not the same species of fire ant that occurs in N. America). Even plants that do not sit over an ant's nest often have ants crawling over them. The ants nest under and around the main roots, and as new roots are produced from new growths they extend outwards in the usual orchidaceous manner, growing over the top of the ant's nest and hiding it from view. The ants seem to expand their nest at the same rate as the plant grows, because the top of the roots always seems to be level with the top of the ant's nest. The ant's nests are so well concealed that it is extremely hard to tell, from the outside, which plants are growing on ant's nests and which one aren't. Although the plant forms a tight cluster of pseudobulbs, the pseudobulb shape is such that ant crawl-spaces exist between the bases of the pseudobulbs. In most orchids, roots grow outwards to fill the available space (you've all seen one root growing tightly alongside a slightly older one) but in A. liliifolia the roots radiate to a greater extent, resulting in gaps between them that the ants can nest in. The catch-roots are not covered by the ant's nest, and are certainly not buried by it, though presumably the ant's nest eventually grows up and covers the bases of the older catch-roots. I cannot recall if I've ever seen catch-roots growing up through the nesting material to any extent ... as I said before, it is hard to tell if there's a nest there at all. Ants are scrupulously hygienic animals, and devote a lot of effort to keeping their nest environs clean. They seem to extend this care to the plant that houses them, because anything small enough to be cleaned away seems to get removed. The leaves and twigs I've seen trapped between the catch-roots are those too big for a small ant to deal with. For this reason I doubt that Paul's hypothesis given the right conditions trash roots may accumulate a little compost is correct; as the leaves decay into small enough fragments the ants would remove them in order to keep their runs clear. I have no doubt that the plants derive benefits from their association with ants ... I don't know if the plant would gain nutrients from ant faeces (do ants use a midden, do they relocate their droppings to outside nest ?) but they certainly attack and deter animals/insects that might attempt to graze on the plant... on several occasions I've been on the receiving end of such an assault, and have been deterred by it. Orchid-ant associations are really common in S.E.Asia. We have at least 5 genera where some or all the species specialise in the production of what we probably ought to be calling ant-roots. Also, it is not at all unusual to find ants nesting amongst the roots of other epiphytic orchids, eg Dendrobiums, Aerides, Bulbophyllums, Erias, etc. Finally, why do I think A. liliifolia is so difficult to transplant from the wild ? Maybe it is because of the absence of ants. Peter O'Byrne in Singapore ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com
[OGD] Thanks
Thanks everyone that sent me the new e-mail address of Rudolf Jenny. icones ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] Re: Perpetual inflorescences
Stephen Kemp asked, in regards to the subject: Is there a scientific term for this phenomenon and what other orchids display it? Dunno about scientific term, but my Hartwegia (perhaps obsolete genus) purpurea does this, blooming repeatedly for years on the same inflorescence. Doesn't Psychopsis papilio and cousins do this too? Carl a trivial name Gustafson ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] trash roots on cymbidium ensifolium
Title: Message I was given cymbidium ensifolium as a gift last year. It is a large, mature plant busting out of its 5" pot, and has what you all are describing as trash roots. Two different root systems are obvious. Regards, Leslie in South Florida ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] Andy's reply to Lycasteria Darius
Sorry to disagree with you, but it is important to note that except for the 1 time Marie Riopelle has flowered it, no one has ever flowered it. Even Marie has not flowered it again. So I think that that fact and the fact that Marie has seen as many Angulocastes as anyone and this does not resemble it, and that the breeding group (Maxillarias) are very easy to cross and get results (She has also made a cross between a Lycaste and Acaccalis(Aginisia), I think That this is indeed what it is. It is true that we have a shortage of Academic people who can do the DNA proof, but a plant that has only flowered once in over 30 years is probably not worth the trouble. Sincerely David Morris ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] Phrag. kovachii
Announcement: Orchids Limited is the first nursery in the United States to receive the first Legal seedlings in Flask of Phrag. Kovachii. Jerry Fischer took a trip to Peru and after a lot of preparation and intense amounts of paperwork fromINRENA and the exporter we successfully hand carried the flasks back to the US. We had to sign an agreement with INRENA that the seedlings would not be sold for 2 years, which we will honor fully. This is exciting and we can't wait till they grow large enough to flower. The seedlings are from Manolo Arias of Peru. Jerry Lee Fischer -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.9.7 - Release Date: 4/12/2005 ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] 2 questions: naming orchids and bird repellent
Hello - A few years back I bought a seedling of Encyclia alata x Encyclia tampencis (sic). By the time my plant bloomed, this cross had been named Encyclia Cindy. I just found the original label, which says Enc. alata 'Barbara' x Enc. tampencis 'Mendenhall'...this resulting plant is still Enc. Cindy, correct? Or no? Second question: with spring, I've been moving my orchids out into the yard, repotting as I go (good intentions!); I keep finding many of them de-potted every day by birds. No idea what causes this attraction. Poor Cattleytonia Why Nott has been refilled with medium 5 times in 3 days...I've hung a few dozen FREE AOC CDs around the trees and shrubs, but this doesn't scare 'em. A few years ago, a big inflatable snake served as a perch until it was punctured (by bird feet). Any suggestions to repel them? A change from squirrels, in any case. Regards - Nancy Blooming: Gongora tricolor!!! Wow! Cogito, ergo spud. (I think, therefore I yam.) __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Small Business - Try our new resources site! http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/resources/ ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] Lycasteria Darius.
Title: Lycasteria Darius. David, You could well be correct. I was at the judging when it was exhibited and it was a tatty thing, of no beauty. Certainly if it has not bloomed again that would be good circumstantial evidence that the parentage is correct. Wyld Court did sell mislabeled Lycasterias that were Angulocastes, pure and simple. It would be good to get Dr. Henry Oakeley's take on this too, after all this group is his field of interest. I must say that I can barely even recall the flower after all these years and it certainly made no lasting impression. Andy Easton ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] Rodriguezia lanceolata
Grew this species in Orlando, FL a goodly number of years ago. It thrived on a piece of tree fern slab with no sphagnum in an open-air greenhouse. It required frequent (daily) waterings during the summer months, every few days during the winter. The critical issue was drainage around the roots. Hope this helps. ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] Rodriguezia lanceolata
Thanks to everyone who replied on the cultural requirements for Rodriguezia lanceolata. Susan Taylor ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] Jerry Fischer's Pk flasks.
Jerry, Would you kindly post a picture on your websiteof one of the Pk flasks you purchased in Lima from Manola Arias, son of Manuel Arias Silva, showing the Pk seedlings inside. Preferably the Johnny Walker flasks. ( they sell three types of flasks) I have seenthe J.W. Pk flask my friend purchased at the WOC in Dijon. Not even close to what the picture shows in the Peru-Flora Brochure. Peter ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] Re:why roots grow down?
on 4/13/05 1:04 AM, Mark wrote: This brings up a question which I may have already answered above (light), but I don't know for sure. What is the trigger that causes auxin to know if it is in a root to grow downward with the pull of gravity? Is is lack of light or the presence of some root cells? Light causes new growth to grow upward, but does less light with gravitational pull cause roots to grow downward? With epiphytes root growth maybe dictated by contact with a surface or otherwise light? Mark Sullivan Hello Mark, I remember a little from plant phys class that some plants (can't say all as I don't know if is the case) have something like crystals or some other solid structure that is inside certain cells. Can't remember if they are free-floating or attached. Where these 'objects' cause pressure on part of the cell insides due to gravity that is 'down', and if the cells are designed to grow down they follow the signal and if they are to go up, they go opposite the pressure in the cell. Hope someone has a better explanation than that! charles -- Charles Ufford Calen the Border Collie CGC - now in Heaven Oriskany, NY USA IPA, Central NY and Southern Tier Orchid Societies [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.paphiopedilum.net Http://www.geocities.com/charlesufford ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
