Bletia patula Graham 1836 a flower without any trace of pigmentation

Alba forms of Bletia patula are very rare in Puerto Rico.  For many years no local plants that are pure white were seen.  There was a single clone, cultivated in Mayaguez that was awarded by the American Orchid Society.  This plant was photographed "in situ" in a swampy area in the northern karst region.  It is part of a very tiny population.  Most of the flowers were grievously damaged either by insects or some kind of fungal or bacteria spotting of the pure white floral segments.

Bletia patula Graham 1836, a vigorous plant with cerulean flowers

This plant is a variant of the normally pink flowered species.  It was found in a vacant lot that was going to be cleaned along with plants of the typical form.  It has proven to be a floriferous and vigorous grower.  This species is not difficult to grow as long as you replicate the way they grow in the wild.  They grow in places where, when it rains, the water percolates quickly and the ground doesn't stay soping wet.

Bletia patula var alba Hawkes 1950, a rare sighting

Fully mature flower

Newly opened flower

I had heard of Bletia patula alba for many years but had never seen one “in the flesh”.  Yesterday in the Mayaguez Orchid festival I finally was able to see one.  A plant of this type was awarded by the AOS many years ago, but so far as I know that plant was lost.  I found a very pale form of this species in the wild some years ago, but in all my field trips I have never seen an alba in the wild.  In some areas of Arecibo I have seen fields where there were thousands of plants but all of them were uniformly colored.  I would hope that this clone will be selfed and the seed sown or some divisions are distributed among hobbyists so that it is not lost again.

A hideous little pest of Bletia patula and other local orchids

The damage to the florar parts of Bletia patula flower betrays

 the handywork of a curculionid bettle that attacks the flowers of orchids.

Checking the flower shows that the bettle is hidden behind 

the lip of the flower, sometimes you find two bettles together.

If the bettle feels the flower is being handled, it tries to hide deeper between

 the lip and the petals.  If it is further annoyed it comes out of hiding and tries to flee.

If the bettle comes out of hiding, its usual strategy is to run to

 the end of a floral part and from there fall to the ground.

This particular flower bettle damages the flowers of many kinds of orchids in my garden.  Its local abundance varies seasonaly.  At certain times of the year I can find from one to five chewing in my flowers.  I think this might have to do with the peak of flower production by local plants, but this is just a guess.  Rather than use insecticide on them, I exploit their fleeing response by putting a cup with alcohol or dishwashing liquid under the flower and shaking the flower gently.  The usual result is that the bettle takes a dive into the liquid and then goes to the great orchid flower in the sky.  Thankfully for most of the year they are not present on the garden,    

These bettles are surprisingly hard for such a small insect.  It is not easy to crush them.   But if you are moved to squash them, they do produce a satisfying crunchy noise when crushed.  I have seen damaging flowers of Bulbophyllum, Cattleya, Dendrobium, Oncidium, Peristeria, Sphatoglottis and Bletia among others.