Myrmecophilia tibicinis

[tradceci]

At long last, it has bloomed! I've had this plant for maaaannyyyy years and it had never bloomed. I consulted you guys and applied all the recommendations, and alas, it worked! I think what did the magic was to place the plant in full sun. The pseudobulbs are yellow now. The plant that has bloomed is the one to the right. You can see the long spike on it. Banana orchid. Love it!

[catttan]

Very pretty.

[Ron-NY]

very nice. Congrats!! How long is the spike?

[tradceci]

very nice. Congrats!! How long is the spike?

Ron, the spike is 27 inches long, with 6 blooms. It's beautiful.

[Phimax]

Spectacular beauty is it related to schomburgkia?

[tradceci]

Spectacular beauty is it related to schomburgkia?

Hi. This orchid used to be Schomburgkia tibicinis, but it was renamed Myrmecophila tibicinis. Myrmecophila means "ant-loving".

[Cjcorner]

WTG! Those schomb's are just so gorgeous...and you just have to love how long the spikes get! Thanks for sharing...i'm waiting for mine to spike out.

[OrchidAddict]

Whoa... you have to read what the online 'encyclopedia' has to say about this plant!!

"The name Myrmecophila is a derivative of the word myrmecrophile and refers to the symbiotic relationship with colonies of ants that are usually found living in the large, hollowed-out, banana-like pseudobulbs. An opening in the base of each pseudobulb serves as an entrance for the ants which harvest nectar from the peduncles and flowers and forage on other plants in the community. The ants associated with Myrmecophila tibicinis pack many of the pseudobulbs with debris that includes other dead ants, a variety of insects, pieces of plant material, seeds and sand. Myrmecophila tibicinis directly utilizes minerals of the organic debris ("garbage dumps") deposited by the ants inside the hollow pseudobulbs. Since the open-canopied trees of the tropics can often be nutrient poor habitats, a small input of nutrients from insects can have a significant effect on plant survival and growth rates. Myrmecophila tibicinis can grow quite well in the absence of ants, though it is quite rare to find an uninhabited plant."

This is absolutely fascinating... if not a tad horrifying... to think of your beautiful orchid's pseudobulbs being used as "garbage dumps" to be filled with dead ants and other decaying junk! But what a beautiful symbiotic relationship! Ants or not, those are beautiful flowers!!!

GREAT GROWING!!

[stateless]

both plants look so good, beautiful blooms, I look forward to one of mine getting there, you should feel proud

[coeruleo]

very cool looking flower. i've been looking for something that can handle some sun..............