Showing posts with label oeceoclades. Show all posts
Showing posts with label oeceoclades. Show all posts

Friday, May 15, 2015

What orchid seed actually looks like; The seeds of Oeceoclades maculata being released from a seed pod in the Rio Abajo forest, Puerto Rico



Most orchid growers are unfamiliar with the appearance of the seeds of orchids.  From time to time one sees questions in forums of the Internet of people that have brought "monkey orchid seeds" and are unable to tell if they got actual orchid seeds or some other types of seed.   Orchid seeds are quite small, almost dust like, so if any that has brought the "monkey orchid seeds" gets anything resembling a normal seed, it surely isn't an orchid seed.

I was hiking through the Rio Abajo forest and stumbled upon a group of Oeceoclades maculata with open seed capsules.  I decided to gently shake the stems that held the seed capsules so that they would release the seeds.  In the photos you can see how tiny the seeds are and how the wind quickly wafts them away.