GHOST ORCHID...

What do the names Palm Polly, White Frog, and Ghost have in common?  They all refer to the same orchid, Dendrophylax lindenii, most commonly known in Southwest Florida as the Ghost Orchid. The plant receives its name because it has no leaves (only roots which blend so well with its tree base) so that when it blooms, the flower appears to be floating in mid-air. It is a rare and fascinating sight to see a ghost orchid in bloom.  It has been estimated that 2,000 individual plants reside in the sanctuaries of Southwest Florida.  Of these, approximately 5 to 10% bloom each year.  Pollinated by the giant sphinx moth, the flowers are white to creamy green colored and usually 4-1/2 to 5 inches in size, with roots that are gray-green and typically about 20 inches long.  On July 7, 2007 a previously unknown and outstandingly large ghost orchid was discovered in Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in .  This plant, dubbed the “Super Ghost”, was growing 45 feet high and had 11 blooms at its peak.  It is currently the only wild ghost orchid whose location is not kept secret.  The previously highest known location of any Ghost Orchid in was in Fakahatchee at 23 feet.  A Ghost Orchid had not been observed from the Corkscrew boardwalk for at least 12 years prior to this discovery. It is estimated that this plant is 30-35 years old.  Typically, Ghost Orchids ...http://chrisanddick.wordpress.com