Orchid Identification without blooms

[Adicus]

Hi,

I had an opportunity recently to harvest some orchid clippings. Unfortunately I was in a hurry and did not have the opportunity label them. Thinking at the time I could figure it out using the Internet/Google. Unfortunately, almost all orchid identification I can find online is focused on the blooms.

I have photographed the clippings and have them posted at the following site;

http://www.frognet.org/gallery/orchids

I am a beginner and I am also very sorry for not taking the time to document each clipping. However, I would like to take care of the orchids to the best of my abilities and would therefore like to identify them.

We live in Arizona and we need to raise most tropical plants in vivariums. When I lucked into these clippings I immediately ordered a Klima-gro indoor green house, and hope to know more about these clippings by the time it arrives and I have to set it up.

I tried contacting the source of the clippings, but they are too busy to help.

Any contributions or suggestion on how best to identify these, would be appreciated. Also, when photographed I had mounted many temporarily on egg crate or cork bark without sphag., so if anyone is horrified by that, please give me recommendations and I will do my best to follow them.

Thanks in Advance!!

Greg Sihler
Arizona Dendrobate Ranch
http://www.azdr.com
gsihler@sihler.net

[Ron B]

The one that looks like an epiphytic cactus may be distinctive enough for someone to get in the ballpark, perhaps the one that looks like an anthurium as well. Otherwise, there are many thousands of kinds - you will really just have to wait for flowers.

[Eric La Fountaine]

Perhaps time will open up for the source people to help you? That seems like the easiest and most accurate way to get ID of all these plants...it's way beyond me.

Your frogs are beautiful.

Good luck,

[Adicus]

Thanks!! I truly appreciate your feedback. Honestly, at this time I would be happy to just be able to place which genus(?) each of the clippings most likely belongs too. I know that some of them were bulbophyllums.

Does anyone know if having a bulb like part below each leaf is enough to place an orchid in that genus(?)

Again I apologize for my ignorance, and I am trying to come up to speed with research, but honestly there is just soooooo much scattered information out there.

I got some basic books from the Amercian Orchid Society, but don't know where to go from there - does anyone have any recommendations on orchid books, or even on how to choose the right orchid books.

Thanks again,

Greg

[mr.shep]

Does anyone know if having a bulb like part below each
leaf is enough to place an orchid in that genus(?)

Not entirely but the "pseudobulb" can be used to separate
out various Orchids by their genus by which ones have it
and which ones do not.

I am seeing Cattleya in the leaf in some of your photos.

I am away from our Orchid books at the moment but I
suggest you do not buy any books on Orchids without
you seeing them first. We have a book on cultivated
species that is good for taxonomic usage but there are
no photos in the book to help show what all is being
described. In other words, the book assumes we know
how to tell a Zygopetalum from an Oncidium before
we ever open up the book. For a beginner, novice and
even many professionals the book has some limitations
for us to use on a daily basis.

There is a well known bookstore (Borders) that has sales
on books throughout the year that are sold as "bargain
books". We've purchased about half of our Orchid books
in this manner. Thumb through the books, see the pretty
pictures and growing techniques, see the price of the book
compared to what the book normally sells for and it is
tough to place it back on the bench or the shelf and not
take it home is how we have worked things. Get a series
of well rounded books that deal with the growing aspects
of the more commonly seen and available Orchids that
show good quality photos of them and then move on from
there. I would not buy any book on Orchids that I have not
personally looked through prior to purchase.

Jim

[Adicus]

Hi All,

The klima-gro greenhouse order was a nightmare, and I would not recommend doing business with them - EVER. For the money it costs, you can have a custom vivarium made, much cheaper.

I have had help in indentifying many of the orchids since my original post, and also have acquired many more. I am specializing in miniature species that can tolerate higher humidity and higher temps (intermediate and higher), as my vivariums can reach mid 80's in the summer.

A number of the bulbyphyllums have bloomed, and so I have been able to ID them, but doing image searches on Google!!

I am quickly running out of space though, but I am very happy with my collection thus far.

Thanks for everyone's input!!

Greg Sihler

[flytrap]

Hi Adicus-

I had a look at your website, and was impressed with the dart frogs info and supplies. I'm addicted to carnivorous plants, and thanks to this thing called the internet, I've been happily trading my plants for like plants...until this year. I was introduced to tropical treefrogs, and I think I am on my way to consume what little time I have left with...yep, you got it, dart frogs!