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Platystele caudatisepala - Seedlings!

Discussion in 'Orchid Species' started by Alfonso Doucette, May 18, 2015.

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  1. May 18, 2015 #1
    Alfonso Doucette

    Alfonso Doucette Active Member

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    Platystele caudatisepala is a warm to intermediate growing mini with a broad range across Central America and makes its way south to Ecuador. The flowers are star-like with translucent sepals and petals and a small thick lip that ranges from yellow to reddish purple. The plants are under an inch tall, grow relatively quickly, and produce flowers in a succession from the same flowering stem.

    I have been pollinating a lot of my plants to send off for flasking by Troy Meyers, and I recently missed a few capsules that opened while I was out of town! One of the capsules was from my Platystele caudata. I noticed last week that some of the seeds appear to have germinated right below the plant!
     

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  2. May 18, 2015 #2
    Tom-DE

    Tom-DE Well-Known Member Supporting Member

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    Thanks. It is pretty cool to see that happen.
     
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  3. May 21, 2015 #3
    juanriog

    juanriog Barcelona, Spain. Inter GH.

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    Hello, could you explain to me how you can pollenizate that micro tiny plant???? I can't imagine.. for me its difficult to do it to a cattleya..ejjeej
     
  4. May 21, 2015 #4
    Alfonso Doucette

    Alfonso Doucette Active Member

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    Platystele is easier than a Lepanthes and other micro-orchids because the flowers are flat and the stigma is entirely exposed. To pollinate the small flowers I sharpen a toothpick wet it with my tongue and remove the anther cap containing the pollinia. I then remove the pollinia in the palm of my hand with the toothpick. I wet the toothpick again, pick up the pollinia, and place them on the stigma. You need good light and good eye sight. If you cannot see the pollinia you can use a jeweler's loupe or a magnifying visor.
     
  5. May 21, 2015 #5
    juanriog

    juanriog Barcelona, Spain. Inter GH.

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    thanks!! i will try not to destroy anything!!

    but i will try!
     
  6. May 21, 2015 #6
    naoki

    naoki Well-Known Member

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    Pretty cool!

    Juan, I used to be able to pollinate (relatively) small flowers (Arabidopsis) when I was young, but magnifying visor is very useful now (I finally had to get my first reading glasses last month).

    This seems to be well reviewed, and I'm considering upgrading mine:

    It is cool that this model uses real glass (not plastic) lens, and you can change the magnification. For most pollination, high magnification isn't so great (the working distance become too short and the depth of field too shallow), and moderate magnification seems to be better. Stereoscopic magnifier really helps to judge the distance.
     
    Last edited: May 21, 2015
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  7. May 22, 2015 #7
    juanriog

    juanriog Barcelona, Spain. Inter GH.

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    I will try!
     
  8. May 22, 2015 #8
    Marni

    Marni Well-Known Member Staff Member Supporting Member

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    I use the one Naoki suggests, but at the highest magnification. I think that varies a bit with age. They also make a flip down magnifier for one eye, but I never been able to work with that.
     
  9. May 22, 2015 #9
    naoki

    naoki Well-Known Member

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    You have done pollination of super-tiny flowers. so it is good to know that the highest magnification works! 4" of working distance seems to be tight, but I guess that it is better to be able to see the target!
     
  10. May 22, 2015 #10
    Marni

    Marni Well-Known Member Staff Member Supporting Member

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    Naoki, 4" was awkward at first, put seems perfectly normal to me now. The older my eyes get the more help I need.
     
  11. Sep 29, 2017 #11
    Benjamin

    Benjamin New Member

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    Hi
    I'm new to this species. I was wondering what kind of median do you use or can you use for the seeds. I absolutely fell in love with them. Thank you for any info.

    Benjamin
     
  12. Sep 29, 2017 #12
    KellyW

    KellyW Orchid wonk Staff Member Supporting Member

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    Benjamin, I haven't seen Alfonso on this site in a long time so I doubt he will be responding. However, looking at his photos it looks like his natural seeding occurred on sphagnum moss. I am not familiar with this species but, in general, it is very uncommon to get orchid seeds to germinate in a home or greenhouse environment. It is worth trying (I've tried) but don't expect miracles.
     
  13. Sep 29, 2017 #13
    carl

    carl Active Member

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    Well, lepanthes germinating in dracula baskets is fairly common in some greenhouses, especially in South America. Actually, draculas germinating in dracula baskets seems to be common too - There's a number of natural hybrids of this origin.

    I also knew a guy who had Masdevallia caesia coming up like weeds in his greenhouse in central Pencilvania.

    I've found Oeceoclades maculata growing (and flowering!) in pots of hotel foliage plants in Pencilvania, imported from Florida. Yeah! Legitimate collecting in my own back yard!

    Finally, until sterile culture was developed, that's how orchids were originally grown from seed - the seed was sown on the mother's roots.

    The key is to have the correct mycorhiza in your pots.
     
  14. Sep 30, 2017 #14
    Benjamin

    Benjamin New Member

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    Hi Kelly
    Thank you for your response. Well I have purchased some basic median to start for next season. I watched enough videos to get a great understanding about flasking. It will probably be a hit and miss the first several times. I like this species for its beauty, its size and its a small group of plants. What I read there are 95 species and still being discovered.

    Thank you
    Ben