Object Details
Description
This difficult to grow, leafless orchid has white flowers which bob above the swampy waters of its home, like a small ghost. Or less eerily, the curling sides of its lip remind some of the back legs of a white frog. Because this orchid does not have leaves, its roots have developed to do all of the plant’s photosynthesizing. When not in bloom, D. lindenii can be extremely hard to find, as it looks like just a mass of roots disguised against a tree. Unfortunately, this endangered orchid is also difficult to find due to poaching from its home in Florida, the Bahamas, and Cuba. Because of this, the precise location of ghost orchid plants is kept secret, to avoid the plants disappearing.
For a long time, D. lindenii also kept a secret of its own – its pollinator. Scientists came up with many theories based off of the orchid’s long spike, similar to that of Angraecum which it shared a common ancestor with long ago, but it was not until 2018 that scientists captured pictures of a hawkmoth pollinating D. lindenii in the deep woods of Florida. Recent research has even shown that an acrobat ant which makes nests among the orchid’s roots may be responsible for the healthiest ghost orchids. For a ghostly orchid, it’s a-buzz with life.
Bloom Time (Northern Hemisphere)
May to August
Pollination Syndrome
Moth (Pachylia ficus; possibly other hawkmoths, as well)
Provenance
From a cultivated plant not of known wild origin
Accession Number
2020-0449A
Restrictions & Rights
CC0
Life Form
Epiphytic
Bloom Characteristics
Arching inflorescence is 2.5-9" (6.4-23 cm) long with 1-10 successively opening waxy, white flowers. Flowers are almost 5" (13 cm) long, and long-lasting.
Foliage Characteristics
Leafless
Fragrance
Fruity, apple
Plant Size
3-5" x 8-15" (8-13 x 20-38 cm), excluding inflorescence
Range
SW Florida to Cuba
Habitat
Swamp forest, brushlands
See more items in
Smithsonian Gardens Orchid Collection
Common Name
Ghost Orchid
White Butterfly Orchid
White Frog Orchid
Palm Polly
Group
[vascular plants]
Class
Equisetopsida
Subclass
Magnoliidae
Superorder
Lilianae
Order
Asparagales
Family
Orchidaceae
Subfamily
Epidendroideae
Genus
Dendrophylax
Species
lindenii
Data Source
Smithsonian Gardens
Topic
Orchids
Living Collections
Link to Original Record
Record ID
ofeo-sg_2020-0449A