Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Conservatory at Golden Gate - Orchids

The Conservatory at Golden Gate Park has an interesting and beautiful orchid collection.

1. Masdevallia Ignea
It includes some really rare ones, such as Dracula Vampira (out of bloom, sorry) and Masdevallia...

2. Unknown
3. Masdevallia Triangularis
...and some commonly grown ones, such as Phalaenopsis and Cymbidium.

4. Cattleya
5. Phalaenopsis
6. A Phalaenopsis with a Lady's Slipper

I am fascinated with orchids, but don't grow any because generally there is not enough humidity for them, and because the whole idea of plants growing in bark and subsisting on moisture from the air is just too alien for me.

7. Another Phalaenopsis?

8. Phalaenopsis
The orchid family is the second largest family of flowering plants and one in ten flowers on earth is an orchid.

9. Unknown
Orchids come in the some of the most unusual colors and shapes.

10. Unknown
11. Unknown
As I mentioned before, identification of the Conservatory's plants is a problem.

12. Unknown
  1. 13. Unknown
I have tried to guess at the names of a few, but others are a mystery.

14. Unknown
I have numbered the pictures, so if anyone wants to take a stab at identifying them, you are most welcome.

15. Unknown

29 comments:

  1. They are really gorgeous. I don't grow them too except for dancing flowers which stopped dancing after I adopted it. Maybe sometime in the future I might want to grow ground orchids. They don't seem so alien, right?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh Wow, that is the most fantastic orchid collection which I have yet seen.
    Thank you, Masha !

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thank you, One, and you are right, perhaps ground orchids are not so alien:). Maybe you will inspire me to try too..

    Thank you Sandra! I am glad you liked them.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I think 2 is a Maxillaria, probably tenuifolia - which has an interesting coconut scent :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. I don't grow orchids, either. I'm much better with outside plants, my houseplants suffer from a combination of my forgetfulness and being chewed on by the cat. I do admire orchids, though. Thanks for the beautiful pictures!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thank you, James, I wish I knew - I would have smelled it!

    Thank you, Dani.

    Thank you, Shannon, I feel exactly like you - I admire them from a distance too. And my houseplants are also sadly neglected...

    ReplyDelete
  7. Gosh, these orchids are gorgeous! Besides the two cymbidium orchids that I am happily growing, I am have never really been bitten by the orchid bug, but your absolutely stunning photos could change that. What still will prevent this is that I have killed each and any orchid in the house up to now, most likely due to the the low humidity that I am having here, too.
    I didn't know that the orchid family is the second largest family of flowering plants! Interesting tit bid of information.
    Thanks for this great post!
    Christina

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thank you, Christina, for your lovely compliments. I am glad to know I am not alone in killing every in-house orchid I possess. I tried growing the fragrant ones, which besides being fragrant looked really beautiful in the store too, but died a slow death in my house. I am glad you know how to grow cymbidiums, that's more than I can do:)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Z ochotą te piekności pooglądałabym na własne oczy, ale nie mogłam, więc dziekuję za piękne zdjęcia. Pozdrawiam

    ReplyDelete
  10. Gorgeous flowers and amazing pictures! You are so good at photography!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thank you, Giga, I am happy to hear from you.

    Thank you, Olga, I am glad you like my pictures. I appreciate your encouragement.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Maxillaris smells like coconut? Mine bloomed for the first time this year, and I didn't notice any scent at all.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I had no idea that one in ten flowers on earth is an orchid. Wow, we are blessed! Orchids are amazing! What a beautiful collection and an amazing post! I have the same issues as Shannon with my cats. Next winter I might try Orchids in a terrarium.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hahaha, those are gorgeous orchids, especially those which i havent seen yet. Phalaenopsis, Dendrobium and Lady Slippers or Paphiopedillum are common here but those in the first few photos are unfamiliar for me. I like One's comment above, that they stopped dancing when she got them, i like her humor! BTW, #s 9, 12, 14 are Phalaenopsis also. Number 14, i think, is endemic to us, it is a tiger orchid, i have it which thrive on neglect.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Although we have lots of orchids here, your photos really showed they are so gorgeous and have very unique shape and colours!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Gorgeous, gorgeous flower photos! I've found your blog through another and am now your new follower.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Lisa and Robb, thanks for stopping by, and I am sorry about lack of fragrance. Fragrance is often elusive for me too.

    Thank you, Beth, and I had no idea either, but that's what the Conservatory's booklet says:). Every time I see an orchid for sale I want to try it, but I have no hope of it surviving, so I usually pass...

    Thank you, Andrea, for identifying some more orchids. I suspected a lot more of them were Phalaenopsis:). You guys are confusing me with dancing flowers, I need to learn more about orchids so I don't feel so completely like an outsider... Thank you for such an informed comment.

    Thank you, p3chandan, I am glad you stopped by to look at these amazing flowers.

    Thank you, SCD, and welcome! I will go check out your blog now.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Such vivid colors - they make me smile!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Masha, your Orchids are truly beautiful. You know that I am unable to grow them so no chance of me identifying them.Oh and by the way its time you passed on some of your photography skills.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Thank you, VW. I am glad you stopped by.

    Alistair, thank you, and I don't grow them either:(. I did a post awhile ago on photography, but by and large there is nothing but practice and practice (a good camera helps too).

    ReplyDelete
  21. Very nice photography. As was mentioned above, #2 is Maxillaria tenuefolia.

    ReplyDelete
  22. I really had no idea there were so many orchids--so beautiful and unusual. your photos are great.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Great to see pictures from the conservatory at golden gate! One of my favorite places to visit on a rainy day. And beautiful pictures too!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Thank you, HHG, I am glad you stopped by.

    Thank you, Richard, for your compliments and for confirming the ID of #2. I am learning!

    Thank you, Carolyn, I am glad you liked my pictures.

    Hello, Lisa, nice to meet you. It looks like you live in the area, I need to check out your blog:).

    ReplyDelete
  25. I really enjoyed seeing these orchids ~ all beautiful and such diversity!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Beautiful Photos and wonderful post!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Thank you, sweetbay and sierrafoothill. I am glad you liked them.

    ReplyDelete

I am so glad you have stopped by!