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The Mystical Ghost

See ghost orchid in the wild…check. Last weekend I was fortunate enough to be invited to look for some flowering ghost orchids. We were more than successful, finding many in bloom, some even with 2 flowers.

The ghost orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii) has been hunted by orchid enthusiasts for decades and is the subject of books and movies. It is an endangered species and on Appendex II of Cites. It is a leafless orchid that prefers popash and pond apple sloughs, special places on their own. I tried to show the naked roots behind the flowers in some of my pictures. It was a great day out, thanks Keith and Chris.

The habitat of the ghost

The habitat of the ghost

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~ by Paul on June 30, 2009.

9 Responses to “The Mystical Ghost”

  1. Good work Paul and the mosquitoes??

    Juan C Aguero said this on June 30th, 2009 at 12:37 pm

  2. Incredible! Thanks for post GPS in the EXIF — just kidding.

    Ed Cooley said this on June 30th, 2009 at 2:36 pm

  3. Thanks Juan, mosquitoes weren’t too bad. Nothing like the southern glades right now. That’s just miserable.

    Paul said this on June 30th, 2009 at 5:36 pm

  4. Haha, almost scared me Ed. Thanks.

    Paul said this on June 30th, 2009 at 5:36 pm

  5. I was hoping you would photograph this orchid one day, so that I could see how you would do so. I admire all of your work, and these photos of the Ghost are no exception! Thank you for sharing.

    Justin Parkkonen said this on July 1st, 2009 at 9:00 am

  6. Thanks Justin,

    I was very excited to have the oppurtunity. You have some great/rare moments captured in your gallery. Nice job.

    Paul said this on July 1st, 2009 at 7:45 pm

  7. The Ghost Orchid bloomed again for my July birthday at Corkscrew Audubon Sanctuary, Naples, FL. It is there for everyone to admire from the boardwalk. I am obsessed and visit it every day of its three-month blooming (since it was discovered in July 2007). As an author, I was inspired to write the novel titled, Ghost Orchid, a story of love, lies and redemption through the blooming of this mystical flower and it power of attraction.

    I hope you photograph the Corkscrew Ghost; I need a mystical, feminine ghost for my book cover……….www.dkchristi.com books and more…

    dkchristi said this on July 9th, 2009 at 2:54 pm

  8. Thanks, I am planning to get up there so maybe I will try and get a shot soon.

    Paul said this on July 9th, 2009 at 5:55 pm

  9. Great! My novel is in editorial stage but is moving rapidly up the pipeline. L & L Dreamspell is the publisher; they usually do their own covers; but I’ve been sending them pictures of the ghost orchid because it is the story focus. I’d love to show some of your pictures at my site with your credits as I build the page to advertise the book. There are many excellent ghost orchid photographers, but there is something appealing about yours. http://www.dkchristi.com books and more

    dkchristi said this on July 17th, 2009 at 7:57 pm

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