Ghost Orchid
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| Dendrophylax lindenii (Lindl.) Benth. ex Rolfe |
The Ghost Orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii) is a perennial hemicryptophyte from the orchid family (Orchidaceae). Other common names include Palm Polly and White Frog Orchid.
Synonyms include :
- Aeranthes lindenii (Lindl.) Rchb.f. in W.G.Walpers, Ann. Bot. Syst. 6: 902 (1864).
- Angraecum lindenii Lindl., Gard. Chron. 1846(1): 135 (1846).
- Polyrrhiza lindenii (Lindl.) Cogn. in I.Urban, Symb. Antill. 6: 680 (1910).
- Polyradicion lindenii (Lindl.) Garay, J. Arnold Arbor. 50: 467 (1969). (This name is still used by many authors).
Its epithet "lindenii" is derived from its discoverer, the Belgian plant collector Jean Jules Linden who saw this orchid for the first time in Cuba in 1844. Much later it was also discovered in the Everglades in Florida.
This orchid is an epiphyte, anchored in a network of large, tangled mass on a tree. It is found in moist, swampy forests in southwestern Florida, the Bahamas and Cuba.
This is a very rare orchid in nature, and is considered endangered. They are seldom seen in collections and are being sold for a high price. But cultivation of this orchid has proven to be unsuccessful outside its habitat. This orchid is listed on the Appendix II of CITES and is fully protected by Florida state and federal protection laws.
This orchid is an exceptional monocot, as it lacks a stem and the leaves have been reduced to scales. It consists only of flat, cord-like, green roots. These roots are used for moisture absorption and their chloroplasts for photosynthesis. The outer layer, the velamen, takes care of acquiring the nutrients and the water uptake. It also protects the inner layers.
This orchid blossoms between June and August, with one to ten fragrant flowers that open one at a time. The white flower is 3–4 cm wide and 7–9 cm long and is borne on spikes arising from the root network. The lower lip produces two long, petals that twist slightly downward, resembling the back legs of a jumping frog. Its bracts are scarious - that is, thin, dry, membranous, and paperlike.
Since the roots of this orchid blend so well with the tree, the flower often seems to be floating in midair, hence its name of "Ghost Orchid".
Pollination is done by the giant sphinx moth, the only local insect with a long enough proboscis.
The plant played a pivotal role in the non-fiction book The Orchid Thief, and the movie based on the book, Adaptation.
