Hello from Columbus, Ohio
 

Hi, all. I'm working on my PhD in orchid systematics and finished my first collection field trip to Australia in February. Had a lovely time for six weeks there. So hot and dry, though, that several of the species I was after decided to skip this year completely.

I'm working on the phylogeny of the hyacinth orchids (Dipodium) and the subtribe Cymbidiinae.

I would share photos from my trip, but I guess I need five posts before I can use that function.

Oh, and if anyone out there has any lead on where I can obtain leaf material for DNA analysis of Porphyroglottis maxwelliae, I'd love to hear from you. This species has never before been included in a molecular phylogeny of the orchids and might help fill in the missing data.

Cheers,
Ryan

Woooow! I was here to welcome you as if you were a newbie :rofl::rofl::rofl:

Glad you're with us!!

Indeed ! Welcome !

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Wow! You sound like you might know your stuff! Good luck on your hunt!

Welcome!

:welcomeflowers:

Welcome to Orchid Board :welcome:

Thanks for the warm welcome, everyone!

Welcome to the board! You should check out the local orchid society here in Columbus. We meet the 3rd Thurs of each month at Franklin Park Conservatory.

Make those 5 posts...just say hi or something...and please post those Aussie pics!

Hello and welcome!

Thanks, Katrina. I did send in a membership application for the Central Ohio Orchid Society about a week ago. Unfortunately, I have a standing weekly meeting on Thursday evenings so I'm not sure if I could ever attend a meeting. Perhaps I can get out of that meeting once in a while, but not every month.

Cheers!

Yes, try and make it out to one of the Central Ohio Orchid Society meetings! There's usually a very interesting speaker at each meeting!

A quick question before I do anything taboo -- is it acceptable to post a wishlist of species? Some are extremely hard to find and rarely cultivated but important to my study. Or is this a function best left to the classified want ads?

Well then...welcome to the board and to COOS! I really hope you'll be able to make it to a meeting from time to time. We have our picnic in June...it's usually a weekend afternoon so maybe you can make that.

Once I get your info from our membership chair I'll make sure you get the newsletter and that you're in the loop on all events and activities.

Smarty pants! May I first say Cheers & welcome but then can I follow up with a question: how'd you get started down your path to studying Orchid systemics? Sounds very interesting, as does a trip to Australia to study Orchids. I think many of us are feeling a little envious. :)

I'm not the person to answer your question about posting wishlists but I'd be surprised if you couldn't post one somewhere other than the classifieds.

Good luck with your work and obtaining your rarities.

Hope you track down those orchids!
Did you call Andy's Orchids or Oak Hill Gardens Orchids? They seem to both have a wide range of species. If they don't have it, they might know who does or why it isn't available.
Good luck!

Thanks! Sorry for the late reply. Haven't checked in on the board in a while. To answer your question, I spent a few years doing undergraduate research on carnivorous plant physiology. As I became familiar with the plants, it seemed some of the most interesting questions revolved around phylogeography and systematics. I joined a lab at Ohio State University that does systematic work on plants hoping to find a project on carnivorous plants. When that didn't pan out, I took a suggestion from my advisor and lept into the world of mycoheterotrophic orchids and their phylogeny. It sure keeps my interest, as does the required field work to collect samples :)

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Hi! Yes, Andy at Andy's Orchids was quite interested in my request for information on Porphyroglottis. He said that he may have seen it at a nursery in the Philippines, but wasn't sure. There isn't a specific reason why it isn't being cultivated, although I have had some discussions recently about the difficulties in getting material out of Indonesia and Malaysia for study (even with the proper permits). I haven't checked in with Oak Hill, but I will definitely do so now. Thanks for the suggestion!

Welcome to the orchid board, Ryan. If it is not too bold, I am curious...was it a life long interest in orchids that led you to your doctoral program or an amazing mentor?

Wow! Another Mount Vernon-ite! Welcome to the board! Nice to know I'm not the only one keeping orchids out here among the cornfields!

Catherine

I suppose you could conclude that my attempt at obtaining a PhD is really just an exercise in masochism. But seriously... No, I didn't have much interest in orchids in particular until recently. I nurtured a few while working in the greenhouses at Lebanon Valley College and my passion for carnivorous plants led to an interest in bog associates like Calopogon and Pogonia. My academic leanings are certainly the result of my advisor's studies and efforts. At present, I am the only graduate student in his lab working on orchids. Other students are engaged in phylogenetic studies on Monotropa (Ericaceae), Asarum (Aristolochiaceae), and Heuchera (Saxifragaceae).

---------- Post added at 12:11 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:07 PM ----------

Hi, Catherine! Yes, I suppose we are few but mighty in the gardening and horticulture hobbies here in Knox County. Are you a member of the garden clubs? I've just been asked to give a presentation on orchids next February at one of their meetings. (They plan well in advance!)

Hi Ryan--

Not a garden club member--coaching tends to preclude evening activities, unfortunately--but I do grow a number of things in addition to orchids. Natives, heirlooms, and edibles are pretty much what I try to grow outdoors, though the wildlife (deer, woodchucks, and raccoons) make it challenging. I think I might finally have the soils in one site ready to try a native Cyprepedium, though....

So, Heucheras are coralbells if I remember correctly, and I think Asarum is wild ginger? Though I thought that Aristolochias were Indian pipes? Are you looking at native orchids as well?

Catherine

Hi, Catherine,

Oh, I do wish the wildlife would leave our plants alone. Don't they know what we're trying to do?! Their interference is certainly not appreciated. I live in a relatively protected spot on the south side of Mount Vernon so I never see deer in the yard. The resident moles, squirrels, and groundhogs can do some damage, though.

Good luck with your Cypripedium! I can't imagine growing that in my yard -- far too much clay in the soil.

Yes, Heuchera is the genus of coralbells, Asarum (also known as Hexastylis in the south) is the genus of wild ginger, and Monotropa is the genus of Indian pipes. I have seen Monotropa uniflora at the Honey Run Highlands park in Knox County.

The only native orchid I know of in Knox County is the downy rattlesnake plantain (Goodyera pubescens), which is fairly well-established on the sandstone at Honey Run park in eastern Knox County. I enjoy the native species and seek them out when hiking, but spend most of my academic efforts on unresolved questions in the Australasian species.

Cheers,
Ryan

OK, I'm going to HAVE to check out Honey Run for the orchids, not to mention all the other flora....You are a BAD influence (grin)....

I'm on the south side of town, but probably more rural than you and have soils ranging from brick clay (I have made pots from this stuff, not kidding) to sandy loams. Have a couple of spots that are nice and loose since they're the original plantings and I've made sure to mulch with deeply with leaves every year, so they're probably my best best for Cyprepediums--already have Asarum canadense, Jeffersonia diphylla, and Trillium sessile and T. grandiflorum growing happily, so I think I have a fighting chance.

The Pilgrim and Shetland geese (aka "homicidal maniac attack birds") have solved most of the critter problems this year around the house, but doubt that they're a viable option for you in town...And they have the nasty tendency of munching on the plants I want to keep, up to and including one of the orchids on the porch....

Catherine

Hi, Catherine,

I love Honey Run. It's such a unique habitat in our county with its collection of disjunct boreal flora. The hemlocks are particularly lovely and so are the trout lilies found there earlier in the season. The Goodyera pubescens I mentioned is near the Kokosing River on top of the small sandstone plateau. It's not the easiest thing to find so I'd be happy to show you where it is. I've been meaning to get back over there soon and check to see if it's in flower, though I fear I may have missed it.

According to some other sources I have, Knox County should have populations of Isotria verticillata, Liparis liliifolia, Malaxis unifolia, Platanthera orbiculata, and Spiranthes cernua, but I haven't seen these yet. I need to make more frequent trips to Wolf Run Park in the spring.

Hah! I'm glad your attack geese are doing their jobs for the most part. Too bad they're not picky eaters!

Cheers,
Ryan

Welcome to the OB!

KitKor (Ryan),

Sounds like you're on a pretty interesting journey, I wish you all the best!


I've wanted to give Cypripediums a shot outdoors too. I think it would be awesome to have native Orchids growing. Perhaps next year I'll give it a shot.

Ryan--Let me know when you're free--had no idea Knox Co. had such interesting biotopes!

Lotis--Native Cyprepediums are a diverse bunch, and some do prefer the sweeter, clay based soils of the Midwest. Robert's Flower Supply near Cleveland is a Cyp specialist and can probably recommend something that would work in your climate and soil type.

Catherine