Epiphytic Orchids

Identifying

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary's

Native Epiphytic Orchids

Identify the type of orchid as one of the three categories below and click on the photo. There will be a series of yes/no questions. Continue until you run out of questions to which you can answer "yes" and you have identified the type of epiphytic orchid.

The plants have leaves and pseudobulbs

The plants have leaves but do not have pseudobulbs

The plants do not have leaves, just hairless roots

The plant has leaves and pseudobulbs...

1. Does the inflorescence (flower stalk) grow from the tip of the pseudobulb? YES, or

1. Does the inflorescence (flower stalk) grow from the bottom or side of the pseudobulb (the leaves are large and may obscure the pseudobulb)? YES

**The plant has leaves and pseudobulbs...**
1. Does the inflorescence (flower stalk) grow from the tip of the pseudobulb? YES, or
1. Does the inflorescence (flower stalk) grow from the bottom or side of the pseudobulb (the leaves are large and may obscure the pseudobulb)? YES

**The plant has leaves and pseudobulbs and the inflorescence grows from the tip of the pseudobulb...**
2. Is the inflorescence a spike with lots of small flowers? YES, or
2. Is the inforescence NOT a spike with lots of small flowers? YES

...

**The plant has leaves and pseudobulbs, the inflorescence grows from the tip of the pseudobulb and is NOT a spike with lots of small flowers**
3. Is the lip of the bloom at the top of the flower, and are the pseudobulbs green and elongated? YES, or		.
3. Is the lip of the bloom at the bottom of the flower, and are the pseudobulbs greenish-brown and shaped like rounded Hershey Kisses? YES		.

...

The plants have leaves but do not have pseudobulbs

1. Is the inflorescence (flower stalk) many-flowered? YES, or

1. Is the inflorescence (flower stalk) NOT many flowered? YES

**The plants have leaves but do not have pseudobulbs**
1. Is the inflorescence (flower stalk) many-flowered? YES, or
1. Is the inflorescence (flower stalk) NOT many flowered? YES

The plant has leaves but no pseudobulbs and the inflorescence is many-flowered

2. Are the stem and leaves long, and are the clustered flowers small and yellowish? YES, or .

2. Are the stem and leaves short, and are the clustered flowers a pale watery green? YES .

**The plant has leaves but no pseudobulbs and the inflorescence is many-flowered**
2. Are the stem and leaves long, and are the clustered flowers small and yellowish? YES, or	.
2. Are the stem and leaves short, and are the clustered flowers a pale watery green? YES	.

The plant has leaves but no pseudobulbs and the inflorescence is NOT many-flowered

2. Are the stem and leaves long, and is the flower large and white? YES, or .

2. Are the stem and leaves short, and is the flower small and yellow-green? YES .

**The plant has leaves but no pseudobulbs and the inflorescence is NOT many-flowered**
2. Are the stem and leaves long, and is the flower large and white? YES, or	.
2. Are the stem and leaves short, and is the flower small and yellow-green? YES	.

The plant does not have leaves

1. Are the roots small, white, and wire-like? YES, or

1. Are the roots flattened, grayish-white, and fleshy looking? YES

**The plant does not have leaves**
1. Are the roots small, white, and wire-like? YES, or
1. Are the roots flattened, grayish-white, and fleshy looking? YES

Polystachya concreta

Polystachya Orchid

Leaves: thin; lance-shaped, brow from tip of pseudobulb; darker green in partially shaded areas and lighter in sunnier areas; grow close to pseudobulb (not on extended stalk)

Pseudobulbs: cylindrical and tapered, usually hidden by leaves

Blooms: multiple flowers on drooping stalks (vaguely reminiscent of Lily-of-the-Valley's stalks; creamy-white to yellow-white; lip three-lobed; open bloom faces down

Habitat: can form large masses; strongest colonies grow on leaning or fallen tree trunks where they get more moisture, but may be found on pond cypress 30' or higher from ground

Flowering: most robust September-December but can flower at any time

Prosthechea cochleata

Clamshell Orchid

Leaves: 1-3 lance-shaped leaves grow from the tip of the pseudobulb; frequently to twelve inches; all grow from pseudobulb rather from separate flower stalk

Pseudobulbs: green, elongated

Blooms: grow on stalk from tip of pseudobulb; single blooms per stalk, although multiple stalks; concave lip of bloom at top of flower rather than bottom and purple with fine yellow lines radiating from base; other petals (usually five) thin, creamy to yellowish-green, hanging down

Habitat: low on more horizontal trunks and branches of trees, frequently pop ash and red maple; often found growing amid Resurrection Fern

Flowering: flowers off and on all year, but most commonly September-May

Encyclia tampensis

Butterfly Orchid

Leaves: grow from tip of pseudobulb (far right); very narrow but leathery

Pseudobulbs: brownish-red to brownish-green, shaped like a rounded Hershey Kiss (above, second from left); size can vary from plant to plant

Blooms: grow on stalk from tip of pseudobulb; single blooms from each branch of stalk; multiple stalks; lip of bloom at bottom of flower rather than top and white with purple at edge of lip; colors of other petals vary from yellow (right), orange, green (above), to bronze; total flower relatively small (less than two inches)

Habitat: grows on small branches of rough-barked trees; usually found within twenty feet of ground but can grow higher

Flowering: usually June-July but can be found at other times during year

Cyrtopodium punctatum

Cowhorn Orchid

Leaves: grow from side or bottom of pseudobulb; large and erect (over two feet long and up to five inches at widest point)

Pseudobulbs: long, spindle-shaped, to twelve inches long; often hidden by leaves

Blooms: grow on branches at end of semi-erect inflorescences; petals yellow with bright orange-red edges; sepals (look like petals but really a covering for main petals) yellow-green with darker spots; blooms about two inches; bloom in masses

Habitat: open swamps and hardwood hammocks on a variety of trees including bald cypress; usually grows low, but two separate colonies at Corkscrew near the tops of cypress trees

Flowering: March-May

Other: also called Cigar Orchid

Credit: bloom photo Paul Martin Brown, Wild Orchids of Florida; University Press of Florida; Gainesville FL; 2002; p. 77. Brown's book is available in the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary Nature Store

Epidendrum amphistomum

Dingy-flowered Star Orchid

Leaves: elliptical; wider near tip than at base; to seven inches in length; each leaf arches along long stalks, which can grow to four feet but are commonly closer to two feet in length

Pseudobulbs: no

Blooms: grows in hanging clusters at tip of inflorescence; mature blooms are yellowish-green with trace of orange (center photo) while immature blooms more greenish (small right photo); individual flowers to about one inch

Habitat: found in swamps and hammocks on a variety of trees but usually fairly close to the ground; found most often in trees over water

Flowering: mostly January-July but occasionally in autumn

Other: previously identified as Epidendrum anceps

Epidendrum floridense

Florida Star Orchid

Leaves: glossy; dark green; elliptical but reasonably wide; grow out along length of stem; alternating; relatively thick (almost succulent-looking); whole plant sort of short and stocky

Pseudobulbs: no

Blooms: grow in clusters; each bloom small to one inch; a pale watery yellow-green in color

Habitat: swamps; grows mostly on pop ash and pond apple in areas over water; susceptible to cold so usually close to water level

Flowering: August-November but may flower at other times

Other: previously identified as Epidendrum difforme

Credit: bloom photo Paul Martin Brown, Wild Orchids of Florida; University Press of Florida; Gainesville FL; 2002; p. 97. Brown's book is available in the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary Nature Store

Epidendrum nocturnum

Night-fragrant Epidendrum

Leaves: dark green; elliptical; alternating on stems; to six inches in length

Pseudobulbs: no

Blooms: single bloom per stalk but several stalks; long, slender yellowish sepals and petals; lip white, strongly three-lobed with the middle lobe hin and longer than the ones to either side; relatively large bloom to five inches; self-pollinating; fragrance strongest at night

Habitat: grows on variety of trees, usually close to the ground and near water; found at Corkscrew at bases of cypress trees

Flowering: July-January

Epidendrum rigidum

Rigid Epidendrum

Leaves: light green; ellipitcal; alternating along stalk; to two inches long and one-half to three-quarters inch at widest point;

Pseudobulbs: no

Blooms: in terminal spikes; greenish-yellow, small (to 1/4 inch); lip at top and rounded; alternate toward tip of spike

Habitat: found on a variety of rough barked trees including cypress, pop ash, pond apple, red maple; will grow high; may form dense colonies

Flowering: October-May but occasionally during summer

Other: most commonly found of epiphytic orchids at Corkscrew

Harrisella porrecta

Jingle Bell Orchid

Leaves: no

Pseudobulbs: no

Blooms: up to a half dozen pale yellow blooms; very small (no larger than 1/8 inch)

Habitat: on variety of twigs and small branches, occasionally on trunks of rough barked trees in hammocks, sloughs, swamps; grows high or mid-level but rarely low

Flowering: August-November

Other: roots hairless, wire-like; most often found by seeing roots rather than blooms; name "Jingle Bell" comes from small round fruit that hang like jingle bells (right photo); tips of root growth often greenish (some photosynthesis there because no leaves)

Dendrophylax lindenii

Ghost Orchid

Leaves: no

Pseudobulbs: no

Blooms: usually one flower per plant per season (doesn't flower every year); sepals and petals similar, white; lip three-lobed; middle lobe tapers to two long, recurving lobes; long thin single flower stalk grows from center of root mass

Habitat: on rough-barked trees in hammocks, sloughs, cypress swamps; one formerly visible from boardwalk at north Lettuce Lake, but its branch fell into water and none visible now from boardwalk

Flowering: May-August but heaviest in late May and early June

Other: roots hairless, flattened, fleshy; grayish-white; tips of root growth often greenish (some photosynthesis there because no leaves); sometimes called Frog Orchid because appearance of bottom lobe like "frog legs"