Orchids Winter 2009

[Oron Peri]

Oron how difficult are Ophrys o grow from seed?
Pat T

Pat,
From a scale of 1 to 10  I would say 11.
It is quite a difficult process, but there are a few members in this forum [ that are specialist on this meter], and some websites that can give you a better Idea.
It seems some Scandinavians became real masters in this field.

Anthony,
I agree with you, O. umblicata might be a good one for cultivation since it makes nice clumps over the years and also for the fact that it grows in every type of soil.

[Ulla Hansson]

Hi Pat,
if you go to http://www.lidaforsgarden.com/Orchids/engelsk.htm there is some advice on how you sow orchids.
Ulla

[arillady]

What an amazing link - sometimes I wonder where I have been hiding. Have never looked at this group of plants seriously before.
Thanks Oron and Ulla for educating me on these plants. I think I will stick to seeds that do not need quite such specialist treatment.
My fingers are in enough pies already
Pat T

[Hans A.]

Here started Ophrys fusca and Barlia robertiana to flower. If conditions are ok and the correct symbiotic fungus is in the ground natural germination sometimes occures (as shown on the Barlia-picture).

[Oron Peri]

Great plants Hans

How long you had the Barlia in the ground?
Your fusca looks very similar to  O. iricolor  although it is early for this one, is it from your area?

[Hans A.]

Thanks Oron,
I think this Barlia is growing there for 7 or 8 years now - perhaps I should replant it
Referring the Ophrys I think it is O. fusca as it is always the first one - I doubt it is O. iriclolor as I never have bought this species and it also cannot be a spontan seedling of it as it does not occur here.

[Oron Peri]

Thanks Hans,

 It is very difficult distinguish O. fusca from O. iricolor, and i see that some regard O. iricolor as a ssp of O. fusca.
It seems O. fusca is a west Mediterranean , including the Iberian peninsula and the Balearic, while O. iricolor is an Eastern Mediterranean species.

[Joakim B]

Oron and Hans ! spend some time now to try to see the differences between the two and I almost had Hans as an in between. The new book monograph of the Ophrys does it have them as two different species or as subspecies or variants or just as the same thing?
I have heard that they have merged several species.

According to Malmgren Ophrys are not that problematic (to be an orchid). Their problem is that Central Sweden is not ideal for the seedlings (or the plant).
I really need to get out to see orchids. I was out spotting from the car but it did not help these are not such big plants that they are easily seen. Maybe later with some guides (and by foot) I might find something.
All the best
Joakim

[Anthony Darby]

I have Ophrys iricolor and if you search the Forum you'll find pics from previous years of it. It was from Crete.

[Craig]

Recently published genetic analysis of Ophrys suggests there are around 10 species ! Svante Malmgrem gave a very interesting talk last year to the Hardy Orchid Society & showed the ENORMOUS variety of floral morphology he had obtained from single self pollinated flowers. Ophrys, it seems is very active in keeping its appeal to pollinators as broad as possible & is probably significantly less pollinator specific & much more promiscuous than has been suggested. Meanwhile, it is very tempting to "discover" new species when one flower looks a little different to another. It does seem like there are a lot of fairly stable subspecies & varieties amongst the species & unfortunately that makes for a bit of a mouthful when talking about them .
Keep the photos coming in ! It is very heartening to see Spring is in action somewhere ! Too cold for Ophrys to flower here yet.

[Joakim B]

For those of You that do not follow all treads here are a link to the photos Gerhard Raschun posted in the flower now tread.
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=3023.msg73655#msg73655
There are also a ophrys in the first post in flower january 2009.
Hope You enjoy it
Joakim

[Oron Peri]

Ophrys lutea starts to bloom now, this is a complicated group with a wide distribution, O. phyrganae [ syn.O. lutea ssp phyrganae] was upgraded to a species, differs mainly by its curved Labellum.
Photos taken in the Galilee [first] and Rhodes [second].

[Rafa]

Just incredible pictures 

[Anthony Darby]

Must be an incredible place, rather like Segovia - a place to visit before I die, although both would be close to my kind of Heaven?

[Joakim B]

Oron lovly
How big are the variations of the flowers in one place. I see in some pictures where more than one flower are seen that they seem to differ a little bit and make the distinction between subgroups a bit difficult
Have people studied the variation of these plants in once place?

Kind regards
Joakim