Spring babies

I recently had a bit of time on my hands to sub-culture and to replate some of my flasks of seedlings. I have purposefully kept the variety of species which I have in vitro to a minimum, or at least to those which I want for my personal collection. This has been difficult. It has taken quite a lot of dicipline. This is also to ensure I have enough space for the many Bonatea speciosa and Satyrium species I intend doing later in the year.

 

The Ansellia africana yellow have been very vigorous and I managed to split these up into several flasks using tall glass jars to accommodate seedling height as they grow. My Phalaenopsis mannii protocorms are growing slowly but surely and they have done very well on the reduced sucrose medium. The only compromise with this medium is growth speed.

 

Ansellia africana yellow

Dendrobium friedricksianum

Dendrobium lamyiae

Eulophia streptopetala X Ansellia africana

Phalaenopsis mannii

Rhynchostylis gigantea alba

Stenoglottis longifolia

Out and about

This past weekend was glorious here in Hermanus. Saturday was still overcast but perfect weather for wondering around the mountains to look for any orchids which may be flowering. However, I am beginning to realise that my mind is more willing than my body these days! Oooh how I am aching today (Sunday) after a marathon trip on Saturday all the way up Voëlklip mountain and then down a gorge following a water course.

 

I was expecting to see quite a lot of species and was keen to see some higher altitude species like some of the local Disa species, but there was very little that I spotted. I was a little disappointed but I did manage to find a few interesting species like two Holothrix species (unknown - not in flower), some high altitude Satyriums (also not in flower) and some Pterygodium catholicum.

 

View from Voëlklip

Large Holothrix species growing on a seep in deep montane forest

Holothrix species growing on a burned slope

Same Holothrix species with spike

Pterygodium catholicum in flower

Had to add this: Flowering sundew in the open