An Unusual Orchid

Orchid Elizabeth Ann Buckleberry

This plant is one of the few orchids left in my collection. I always have a couple of phalaenopsis because of their wonderful long bloom time. And I have a lovely tiny green flowering one that I have probably had for 20 years. It is a reliable bloomer–at some point–and because it is in a wooden crate and not a pot I have never repotted it. Periodically I throw some new medium in and that’s all.

It’s just about the same for good old Liz, here. She goes out in the summer and if she’s unlucky, the chipmunks throw the bark out of her container so that I top it off when she comes back in. I remove dead bulblets but that’s about it. And I get rewarded with at least a single bloom, and occasionally a second later in the spring.

Flower close up

This is the bloom cluster close up. It’s so interesting and it’s even more interesting to try to imagine what would pollinate that!

Orchids are just so fascinating!

2 thoughts on “An Unusual Orchid

  1. The Chatsworth Lady December 6, 2021 / 9:04 pm

    It’s been a while (a looong while, lol) since I grew orchids but I am pretty sure that is a Cirrhopetalum and if I recall correctly those are pollinated by flies. Some of the related species have even skinnier lips and those are pollinated by fruit flies because ‘normal’ flies are too big to get down in there to the nectary sac.

  2. gardendaze December 7, 2021 / 6:02 am

    I would definitely believe that they are pollinated by something like a fruit fly. What a concept.

    I got this from my local orchid society back when I was still into that. It’s still got the identity tag which is where I came up with the name but that might just be cultivar and you’re identifying genus for me, which is helpful.

    Anyway I cannot believe how long lived this one has been. It has survived the era of house sitters, which none of the rest managed to do, which is why it is still around.

    Karla

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