Just thought it might be nice to share a few of the pics of the little grove of Phrags I found on a streamside rock on one of my recent hikes. They were lovely and fragrant.
Re: Wild Paphiopedalums They're likely Phragmipediums, believe the Paphiopedalums are Asian. Maybe P. pearcei var. ecuadorense ? Interesting and nice, thanks for showing us lorax.
Re: Wild Paphiopedalums Cool ! It's always nice to see orchids in their natural habitat. I finally got to my local Ladyslipper this summer but your locale has much greater diversity. Shaun
Re: Wild Paphiopedalums Thma! Thanks, Chimera, you're right of course - I always get the two genera mixed up in my head. I know I really should have checked first.
Re: Wild Phragimpediums WOW! Thanks for sharing the images of native Phrags in their habitat. Can you tell us about the habitat they are growing in?
Well, the habitat is at the base of a valley in Transitional Montane Wet Forest, about 800 meters above sea level, in the Ecuadorean province of Pastaza - specifically about an hour's hike downhill from where the gravel road between Mera and Santa Clara ends. The plants themselves are growing on primarily granite boulders (one isolated patch on a schist boulder, not doing as well as those on granite) at the edge of a fast-flowing cold river fed by springs and rainwater further up the cordillera of the Llanganates - it's otter habitat. Rainfall in the area is about 50 cm a month in the dry season, and in the wet season it's not uncommon to get 1 m a day during heavy storm activity. While I was there, which was about midday, the rocks where the Phrags are growing were semishaded by Copal and Sangre de Drago trees (dominant forest type in this specific area is Copal and Cedrella odorata). Temperatures in the zone range from about 18º C at night to about 28º C in the daytime, and humidity never drops below 75% normally hovering in the mid to high 80% ranges. The boulders are situated such that they would be occasionally flooded in high rains - this doesn't seem to affect the orchids any, though. The flowers seem to be visited by small hoverflies and the larger variety of stingless bee.
Very nice! Fragrant?! I thought only the Phrag. schlimii and fischeri were fragrant. What does it smell like?
Spicy - very difficult to describe the odour, actually. I find it to be pleasantly reminiscent of black pepper with a distinct sweet citrus note.
Awesome pics!! - I'm jealous :-) Is there any way you could post us a shot of their root area and how their roots 'interface' with the rock streamside? Just so those of us growers in far flung lands can have a visual idea of where their roots like to be in their natural condition.
Oberfeld, the next time I'm down there (probably September) I can certainly do that. From memory, the roots sort of spread out into the moss that grows on the rock surface, with the tips dangling over the edge of the boulders ever so slightly. This would mean that when the water is high, the root tips are immersed. The largest clumps were growing near a small waterfall, which would provide them with constant misting.
