Speaking of lindenii...

[Heather]

That's trippy. Maybe you were standing on your head when you took the photo.

Not this time...

 

[Jmoney]

nicely bizarre, nothing quite like it.

 

[Heather]

Darn. I think it self-pollinated already! The oldest bloom is fading, but unlike all of the other caudatum types, it has no browning on the dorsal or synsepal. Just droopy. It sure wasn't open for very long, only since June 18th. Wonder if it will still be worth taking to my meeting next week.

 

[Rick]

Dang that's allot of danglys! That's a great specimen Heather:clap:

 

[silence882]

Great pics!

Could you take an up close shot of the staminode? and perhaps a side view?

Phrag. lindenii has a, "third anther that is borne on a filament long enough to push the pollen mass against the base of the stigmatic surface while the flower is still in the bud stage. This ensures that every flower will be self-pollinated."

Source:McCook, Lucile M. "An Annotated Checklist of the Genus Phragmipedium." Orchid Digest special publication (1998): 1-12.

--Stephen

 

[Heather]

Thanks, but I'm kind of annoyed by it actually. I wanted to take it to my meetings. Wah... But, the plant is not about ME and evolutionarily, I suppose that is pretty damn amazing actually. No pouch = no pollinators to get stuck so the plant had to invent its own system. Okay. Maybe I'm not SO annoyed...

Stephen, I will try, I am not good at close-up shots and the dorsals hang WAY over. That is definitely what is going on though, you can clearly see that the third anther is touching the back of the stamnode.

Perhaps this would explain why there are only two awarded plants (three if you count a CBM - thanks Lien for the wildcatt data today) and why the petals seem to be so short compared to the other caudatum types? They aren't given enough *time* to *grow*!

 

[Jmoney]

I've never owned a lindenii...can you remove the pollen when the flower opens to avoid it self-pollinating?

I think there's some genetic work linking lindenii as closer to wallisii, and the caudatum/wars being more closely related as well. makes sense since lindenii looks a lot like a pouchless wallisii, and both of them tend to have smaller flowers with slightly shorter petals (compared to the other two).

 

[Heather]

Okay, Stephen...I can try for a few more of these in the natural light Monday or Tuesday if the sun is out, but see if any of these will work for you.

(Actually the upside down one was most obliging as I was able to lift it's petal up to raise the synsepal.)

 

[silence882]

Heather, thanks much for the pics, they're just what I was looking for. Phrag. lindenii is the only cypripedioid that has a third fertile anther. The pouch probably evolved away after the self-pollination had started.

Dressler in a 2005 OD article makes wallisii a subspecies of lindenii since lindenii was described first.

--Stephen

 

[PHRAG]

Evolution is awesome!

 

[JB_Orchidguy]

Very nice plant. I have heard about this plant, but never seen one. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Rob Zuiderwijk]

@Stephen

If I may be so bold...

My young Phrag. lindenii produced its first flower two months ago. I have taken some photos for PhragWeb (which I still have to upload by-the-way). I thought you might like the two photos below.

Does this one make you think of a cow from some cartoon as well...


@ Heather,

I had the same experience as you with my flower. It faded a little and then dropped looking quite fresh, like most other phrags do.
On the bright side. It gave me the opportunity to disect the flower and make some good photos.

All the best,

RZu.

 

[SlipperFan]

The top one looks like something one might find alongside the road. The bottom one looks a bit like a little bull. Interesting angles!

 

[silence882]

Very nice pics!

And yes, definitely a cow. I think its horns are the 'anther depressor mechanism' that Koopowitz talks about...

The third anther is just flat out weird.

--Stephen

 

[Heather]

Excellent photos! Thanks Rob!!

 

[Gideon]

Very nice H :clap: :clap: :clap:

 

[Gideon]

Great photos Rob

 

[Marco]

Heather no lindenii for me. :sob: I saw Jane's phrags and realized how big they get. I can't house one. And student loan payments start this month. Maybe in a year or so when some plants die off and when I have a real 9-5 (something I'm not to excited about). Maybe by then I'll be able to get a lindenii and kovachii and for a finger and not an arm.

This sucks too cause Glen Decker's coming next week to my LOS meeting.

 

[Heather]

Well, Marco, I have to say I prefer the wallisii now that I have seen this one in person. It is VERY ultra cool from an evolutionary standpoint, but as far as beautiful goes, the plant is a bit of a mess, petals everywhere, and not nearly as long as the other species, and the blooms last for a significantly shorter time than any of the other long petaled species Phrags.

I have plucked all but the last bloom off. If this one can keep from pollinating itself before Saturday, I will still bring it to New Hampshire for the novelty factor, but I fear it will last that long.

Say 'HI!' to Glen for me please!! He's such a nice guy!

 

[Marco]

Heather I'll definately say hi to Glen for you.

Has it pollinated it self yet?

Well you know if you don't like youre lindenii and want to get rid of it you can always give it to me oke:. I'm sure I can make some room for them. (The huge noid phals will be going on their way out next)