Ponthieva ventricosa, smooth shadow witch

[Ricardo in PR]

I have been trying to get a good photo of this plant for years since I discovered a tiny population on the side of a forest gully. These photos are my best so far. This Caribbean endemic is apparently very rarely photographed as the absence of internet photos of this species seems to attest. The blooming season is not long so I have almost missed it several times. The plants of this species fit the description of non-descript to a t. They are very easy to miss in the tangle of mosses, ferns and other plants growing at the side of the gully. You can see some leaves of the plants flush against the side of the gully in the photo of the inflorescence. I have wondered how such a small plant survives growing in a place that not only has plenty of competition but seems to have little sustenace to offer. From years of observations I have come to suspect that these plants persist by their ability to outcompete other species for whaever little sustenance there is to be had in the wall they live and their capacity to survive in the shadow of other taller plants. For part of the year in the forest there is a dry spell and most plants suffer and some even die, this plant leaves die off and for a time you would not have a clue there are orchids growing there at all. Given the difficulty getting to their place and the fact that the flowers are tiny and of absolutely no commercial value I expect this clump to continue to survive and even thrive for many years in the future.

[fotofashion]

What a cute little flower. Can you give us an idea of just how little?
Beverly A.

[tenman*]

Thank you for the education about this little-known species and the good photos. I am always happy to add new species to my knowledge base. Your efforts in capturing this little gem are well appreciated.

[Marci in SoFL]

What a tiny treasure. Thanks for taking us along on another forest walk, Ricardo. Amazing how some orchids manage to cling to existence in the most precarious of places.

[Kathy-WPalmBeach]

Thanks Ricardo for another informative and amusing post.

[Ricardo in PR]

The size of the flowers is around 1/3 of an inch. Thanks for the comments.