Unfortunately, there are not yet sufficient data on these species, but the African Disa in Australia seems to be a generalist (Bonnardeaux et al., 2007). of plants per 5 × 5 m subplot (, Mean (s.e.) Gongora plants are epiphytes, which means they grow in mid-air, and their roots are thin and form a ball that can even point upright. It is considered to be one of the most successful invasive orchids. Wullschlaegelia calcarata, on the other hand, preferred steep locations, which is also probably more related to its distribution and abundance in cover class 4, the steepest part of the LFDP (Thompson et al., 2002). This species is considered non-native to the Neotropics, though its type specimen is from Brazil. Nonetheless, if you get the opportunity to grow one, Gongora plants will reward experienced tropical orchid gardeners with showy and lovely blooms. From floristic works and miscellaneous literature, it is known that Hawai'i has at least five alien species established on the Big Island, and Puerto Rico has nine (Wagner et al., 1990; Caccia, 2005; Ackerman, 2007). Common Name: MONK ORCHID: Plant Notes: This genus is native to Africa, the Seychelles, Madagascar, and Mascarene Islands (Garay & Taylor 1976). Browse pictures and read growth / cultivation information about Species, Natural Hybrid … Lift the root ball as a whole and place it a new container, then backfill with potting soil. It was first described by the English botanist John Lindleyas Angraecum maculatum in 1821 based on a specimen collected from South America. 1). Introducing "One Thing": A New Video Series, The Spruce Gardening & Plant Care Review Board, The Spruce Renovations and Repair Review Board. Saved by Jennifer Roman. pterocarpa, which was said to have winged capsules. Though successful division of these plants certainly isn’t easy, it can be done, so long as you use sterilized tools and take special care not to damage their fragile root systems. O. maculata is the only species in the genus that is currently distributed outside Africa (Cohen and Ackerman, 2009). They have a peculiar structure, in which their flowers seem to branch off from one another. The LFDP has been funded by NSF grants BSR-8811902, DEB 9411973, DEB 0080538 and DEB 0218039 to the Institute for Tropical Ecosystem Studies, University of Puerto Rico, and to the International Institute of Tropical Forestry, USDA Forest Service, as part of the Long-Term Ecological Research Program in the Luquillo Experimental Forest. You can deal with them using a good pesticide if so (an eco-friendly one, of course!). The forests where Oeceoclades maculata is abundant are in various successional stages. for 100 random 5 × 5 m subplots, Copyright © 2020 Annals of Botany Company. There are 65 species of Gongoras, mostly found in Colombia—though a few are distributed across South America and even as far north as Central America. Moscosoa, A place for alien species in ecosystem restoration, The ecological life zones of Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands, International Institute for Tropical Forestry, Río Piedras, Recovery of forest plant communities in post-agricultural landscapes, Human or natural disturbance: landscape-scale dynamics of the tropical forests of Puerto Rico, Invasibility and abiotic gradients: the positive correlation between native and exotic plant diversity, Are islands more susceptible to plant invasion than continents? Both native orchids preferred the drier Zarzal soils. Ironically, slope of the terrain acted as a barrier and probably prevented many areas on the southern and western ends of the LFDP from being farmed or logged because they were simply too difficult to work (Foster et al., 1999). Regardless of what the general reasons and patterns are for successful invasions, O. maculata has proven to be a hearty weed that has colonized a large portion of the neotropics, and in the LFDP all historical cover classes were invaded, including old growth forests with minor human impacts. Monk Orchid, African Spotted Orchid Information Page Author:Prem Subrahmanyam. Search for other works by this author on: PO Box 23360, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00931-3360, An orchid flora of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, Forest regeneration in a chronosequence of tropical abandoned pastures: implications for restoration ecology, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA, Land-use history affects the distribution of the saprophytic orchid, Diversity of mycorrhizal fungi of terrestrial orchids: compatibility webs, brief encounters, lasting relationships and alien invasions, A revision of the saprophyte orchid genera, Selective logging effects on abundance, diversity, and composition of tropical understory herbs, Weeds in paradise: thoughts on the invasibility of tropical Islands, Biological control of tropical weeds: research opportunities in plant-herbivore interactions, Oeceoclades maculata (Orquidaceae[sic]), 1975 a 1985, en una marcha inexorable cruza La Isla Española. Institute for Tropical Ecosystem Studies, University of Puerto Rico, PO Box 23341, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00931-3341, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, 215 Holt Hall, 615 McCallie Avenue, Chattanooga, TN 37403. Another, ... Oncidium Orchids Care and Growing Tips Peperomia Plant Profile Growing Trichocentrum Orchids Indoors How to Grow Schomburgkia Orchids The Spruce. 1). Oeceoclades: Oeceoclades maculata has become a weed in Florida. Apart from that typical balance, make sure and keep the plant in a well-aerated area with a nice breeze and watch out for typical orchid pests, like spider mites and scale. O. maculata is native to Africa; however, it was first described in 1821 as Angraecum maculatum by Lindley from a collection made by Loddiges in 1816 from Brazil (Garay and Taylor, 1976). Oeceoclades maculata flower, frontal view, showing the nectary entrance (arrow). It has certainly found a suitable home in the LFDP, with a population density of approx. [1], Stern, W.L. Note the two maculae on the lip that act as nectar guides. Unaltered forest habitats are generally thought to resist establishment of invasive species (Denslow, 2003), and this seems true for the LFDP where non-native tree species, of which there are plenty in Puerto Rico, infrequently appear in the forest after a hurricane but fail to persist (Thompson et al., 2002). Synonyms; Eulophidium Pfitzer. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide, This PDF is available to Subscribers Only. The invasive species was more abundant than W. calcarata in 124 of 224 of the 10 × 5 m subplots, and the same was true of P. stachyodes for which 132 of 191 of the subplots contained more O. maculata (Fig. Monk Orchid, African Spotted Orchid (Oeceoclades maculata) Information Page at Florida's Native and Naturalized Orchids. In the LFDP, farming and logging were generally small-scale activities so damage to the soil was not on the magnitude of large-scale farming or clear-cut logging, nor was it widespread. Lindl. [2], When Leslie Andrew Garay and Peter Taylor resurrected and revised the genus Oeceoclades in 1976, they recognized O. maculata and two related species, O. mackenii and O. monophylla. [1], Oeceoclades maculata was first found naturalized outside of Africa in Brazil in 1829. Today. Oeceoclades maculata (Lindl.) Nevertheless, plants are not evenly distributed among the cover classes. The long-distance dispersal of, World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Oeceoclades_maculata&oldid=981918013, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 5 October 2020, at 04:33. Analysis for an association with slope showed that O. maculata and P. stachyodes prefer flat terrain. Oeceoclades maculata is present in all four canopy cover classes, but it is most abundant in cover class 3 (Fig. Despite these orchids’ beauty, you’re unlikely ever to find them grown in domestic cultivation; these plants require a very specific climate to thrive and are almost never found outside specialty botanists or sources. One would predict that invasive species might be autogamous, like O. maculata, or apomictic like Zeuxine strautematica or Disa bracteata (Sun, 1997; Bonnardeaux et al., 2007), but most may actually have pollinator-dependent breeding systems and even low fruit production typical of most orchid populations (Ackerman, 2007; Tremblay et al., 2005). Of the sixty-odd species in the genus, most are found only in very select areas of the South American jungle and are extraordinarily rare. In contrast, forest understorey herbs, including the two native orchid species in this study, appeared to be a little more sensitive to soil type than tree species were (Portugal Loayza, 2005). Lindley later revised his original placement and moved the species to the genus Oeceoclades in 1833. There is some evidence that invasive species are governed by general patterns rather than being idiosyncratic (Arim et al., 2006). We thank the LFPD committee for the opportunity to work on the ‘Big Grid’, Jill Thompson for logistical support and suggestions for the analysis part of the paper, and Jess Zimmerman, Chris Bloch and Chris Higgins for assistance with statistical analyses. maculata. Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It is known that O. maculata has a broad habitat range, amply demonstrated in Puerto Rico by its presence in lowland cactus thorn-scrub and in broadleaf, montane rainforests. Oeceoclades mackenii was said to have a labellum that was shorter than wide and possessed a branched inflorescence, while the labellum of O. monophylla had a "distinct elongate isthmus." Their high invasibility is facilitated by a combination of heavy traffic in introductions and high levels of natural and anthropogenic habitat disturbances (Foster et al., 1999; Sax et al., 2002; Denslow, 2003; Gimeno et al., 2006). They may simply out-compete native species, or it may be a case of being in the right place at the right time (Wiser et al., 1998; Sax et al., 2002; Denslow, 2003; Gilbert and Lechowicz, 2005; Gimeno et al., 2006; Thuiller et al., 2006). Oeceoclades maculata, sometimes known as the monk orchid or African spotted orchid, is a terrestrial orchid species in the genus Oeceoclades that is native to tropical Africa and now naturalized in South and Central America, the Caribbean, and Florida in North America.