A QUARTET OF PANAMANIAN MORMODES

THIS MONTH I WAS WORKING ON IDENTIFICATION OF A MORMODES AND IT INSPIRED ME TO ADD A PAGE TO THE BLOG ABOUT MORMODES. OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, I HAVE RECEIVED SOME EXCELLENT PICTURES OF PANAMANIAN MORMODES FROM THREE PEOPLE. WITH THEIR PERMISSION AS NOTED ON THE PICTURES, I AM POSTING THEM FOR FELLOW LOVERS OF THE CATASETINAE.

DR. ROBERT DRESSLER IN HIS FIELD GUIDE TO THE ORCHIDS OF COSTA RICA AND PANAMA DISCUSSES THE CATASETINAE IN A CHAPTER TITLED "THE BIZARRE SUBTRIBES". I LIKE THAT DESCRIPTION BUT IF THE CATASETINAE ARE BIZARRE, THEN I THINK MORMODES IS PROBABLY THE MOST BIZARRE OF ALL WITH ITS ASYMETRICAL TWISTED COLUMN AND LIP. AFTER ALL, THE NAME MORMODES IS FROM THE GREEK MEANING RESEMBLING A FRIGHTFUL OBJECT, A HOBGOBLIN.

ACCORDING TO DR. GERARDO SALAZAR, THE ONLY EXPERT ON THE GENUS, THERE ARE SOME 80 SPECIES RANGING FROM MEXICO TO BOLIVIA AND BRAZIL. PANAMA HAS ADDITIONAL MORMODES SPECIES BUT I CHOOSE TO ONLY DEAL WITH FOUR OF THEM AT THIS TIME.

Mormodes hookeri 'Brent Baker' HCC/AOS owned by Brent Baker
Mormodes fractiflexa 'Ed Harris' CHM/AOS owned by Ed Harris

Mormodes punctata owned by Ed Harris
Mormodes colossa Eric Hunt http://www.orchidphotos.org

TWO NEW GENERA PROPOSED AS ADDITIONS TO THE SUBTRIBE

WELCOME TO THE SUBTRIBE TWO NEW GENERA AS PROPOSED BY THE AUTHORS OF THE RECENTLY PUBLISHED GENERA ORCHIDACEAUM VOLUME 5. THE PROPOSED NEW ADDITIONS TO THE ESTABLISHED FIVE MEMBERS OF THE SUBTRIBE, CATASETUM, CLOWESIA, CYCNOCHES, DRESSLERIA & MORMODES ARE GALEANDRA AND GROBYA. THE AUTHORS ADMIT THAT THIS MAY SEEM QUESTIONABLE BUT THEY SAY THEIR MOST RECENT MOLECULAR EVIDENCE SHOWS THAT THESE TWO GENERA ARE SISTER TO THE ESTABLISHED GROUP. SO WHO ARE THE NEW ADDITIONS? WE SHALL SEE HOW THIS ADDITION IS ACCEPTED.

Galeandra is a popular and widely-grown genus of some 40 species ranging from Florida to southern Brazil. The largest group are from Brazil. Two new species recently have been described from Brazil and they are available from my friend Vitorino Castro. To represent the genus this is a picture of Galeandra devoniana.

The other genus, Grobya, in contrast is a small genus of five species endemic to the Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest and is not widely cultivated outside Brazil. To represent the genus, above to the right, is a picture of Grobya amherstiae which is also available on the lists of my friend Vitorino Castro.

PREVIOUSLY, TAXONOMISTS HAVE PLACED BOTH GENERA, ALONG WITH CYRTOPODIUM IN OR NEAR THE CATASETINAE SO THIS IS NOT A COMPLETE SURPRISE AS HAVE BEEN SOME OF THE OTHER CHANGES FROM KEW. Over the next few years we shall see if this change is accepted in the orchid community but it is certainly worth notice.