Ghost Orchid Facts
- The gorgeous plant most often known by the attention-grabbing common name of the Ghost Orchid represents a truly magnificent species of flora. Yet, the fabulous botanical beauty also goes by at least a few other common names in parts of its native range, however.
- A few of these alternate terms include such distinctive options as the white frog orchid and the palm polly. This awesome flowering plant nevertheless also bears another, less memorable appellation. That’s the csomewhat umbersome scientific name of Dendrophylax lindenii.
- The well-known Belgian plant collector Jean Jules Linden became the first person to officially recognize the stunning species of flora. The fortuitous discovery of this lovely plant occurred in the year 1844. In doing so, this individual fortunately gave the world a great gift of beauty.
- To the amazement of some people who learn of it, this plant holds a minor surprise. It bears a close relationship to species native to lands bordering the African and Indian Oceans. This occurs because the members of its genus all evolved during the time of Gondwana.
- Most unfortunately, the truly stunning product of evolution called the Ghost Orchid now finds itself in grave peril. This lamentable situation actually occurs due to not merely one problem, but a combination of multiple factors. These include its small range and habitat loss.
- It now also faces numerous other great dangers to its continued existence as a species. Perhaps the greatest of these, though, remains the threat of ongoing climate change. Presently, the IUCN lists this wonder as Endangered on its published Red List of Threatened Species.
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Ghost Orchid Physical Description
The truly fantastic Ghost Orchid represents one of the multitude of equally amazing orchid varieties that grows as what’s technically known as an epiphyte. That’s because it actually grows on the surface of another organism and receives its nourishment directly from the air and water.
Within its native habitat, however, this surface most commonly includes the limbs and trunks of various locally available trees. The remarkably adapted Angiosperm further displays a relatively strong preference for pop ash and pond-apple trees, though. The reason for this remains unknown.
This marvel, a both visually and physically distinctive variety of orchid, typically also develops as a leafless vine. It additionally, and understandably, remains best known for the gorgeous blooms it produces. The marvelous Ghost Orchid generally produces anywhere between 1 – 10 of these.
Not content to simply stop there, its magnificent blossoms also tend to open only one at at time, prolonging our enjoyment of its appeal. The flowers display a brilliant white color, and average 2.75 – 3.5 in (7 – 9 cm) in length. The same blooms also average 1.2 – 1.6 in (3 – 4 cm) in width.
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Phylum: Tracheophyte
- Class: Monocots
- Order: Asparagales
- Family: Orchidaceae
- Genus: Dendrophylax
- Species: D. lindenii
Ghost Orchid Distribution, Habitat, and Ecology
Quite unfortunately, the magnificent Ghost Orchid evolved to a natural range that poses it numerous problems. That’s because it appears in a portion of the globe that’s both extremely limited and restricted. These zones of habitation also remain highly isolated in nature.
In point of fact, the beautiful and delicate Angiosperm occurs in the wild in only two known small portions of the world. To the amazement of some, these isolated locations include the island of Cuba and the state of Florida, situated wtihin the United States, in North America.
Its own nature tends to make it comparatively difficult for the beautiful plant to prosper, however. Regrettably, those same traits also make it even more complicated for it to spread in any numbers. That’s because the remarkable species of flora only appears naturally in very specific areas.
These extremely selective potential habitat areas comprise regions consisting primarily of damp, swampy forests. But wait, there’s still more yet to come. The fabulous, but lamentably highly selective plant also requires the presence of very specific tree species in sufficient abundance.
The breathtaking Ghost Orchid also holds yet another distinction inside the annals of science. That holds true due to the fact that its specific physical nature remains extremely uncommon among Monocots. Over time, its leaves and stem have been reduced to almost non-existence.
As a result of this evolutionary path, the great majority of its mass now holds a most bizarre-seeming appearance. In point of fact, most of its form now consists of its many branching, hair-like roots. It’s also pollinated almost exclusively by a variety of moths, further distinguishing it.
Species Sharing Its Range
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