The Epiphytic Love Story of the Greenfly Orchid and Southern Magnolia Tree
Two plants. One footprint.
BRIT Collections
Botanical Research Institute of Texas | Fort Worth Botanic Garden
What is an epiphyte?
The Greek word "epi" means "upon", and "phyte" means "plant". An epiphyte is a plant that grows on other plants.
Plant specimen (1995-11-14) by International Botanical Expedition of the U.S.A. National Geographic SocietyBRIT Collections
Epiphytes
Epiphytes do not rely on soil to grow, and many species prefer the view high up in the trees. Species of the epiphytic fern pictured, Lepisorus, can be found around the world thriving in tropical environments and high elevations.
Air plants
This unique adaptation has evolved across the plant kingdom, from ferns to orchids and other "air plants". Pictured is the resurrection fern, Pleopeltis polypodioides, native to Africa and the Americas.
Orchids
Of all of the epiphytic vascular plant species known to science, 70% belong to the Orchid family (Orchidaceae).
The small ball moss, Tillandsia recurvata, shown to the left, is a member of the largely epiphytic family Bromeliaceae.
Plant specimen (1972-02-06) by Charles M. AllenBRIT Collections
Greenfly Orchid
Epidendrum magnoliae, is special because it is the only epiphytic orchid found in the United States outside the state of Florida. It is named this because its flowers look like small green flies in both color and shape.
This preserved specimen was collected in the state of Louisiana. The collector also noticed an epiphytic fern on the Southern Magnolia with the Greenfly Orchid.
Epidendrum magnoliae collected in Georgia (herbarium sheet: BRIT552108) (1967-07-28) by John F. LogueBRIT Collections
Epidendrum magnoliae
The greenfly orchid can be found on a number of different tree species across the southwestern United States.
This preserved specimen was found on live oak in the state of Georgia.
Plant specimen (1976-01-31) by Scott W. McReynoldsBRIT Collections
Greenfly Orchid
A study published in Southeastern Naturalist in 2008 by Bergstrom and Carter, showed that this orchid may have a strong preference for some tree species over others.
This collection from Louisiana mentions the plant being "very abundant in Magnolia grandiflora".
Magnolia grandiflora
Bergstom and Carter surveyed trees with Epidendrum magnoliae in an oak-pine-hickory forest in Georgia. Out of 112 host trees selected, the Greenfly Orchid was more abundant and more likely to be found on old Southern Magnolia trees.
Plant specimen (1845-05) by F. RugelBRIT Collections
Southern Magnolia
Magnolia grandiflora is indeed a 'grand' tree reaching heights of 100 feet or 30 meters tall.
Plant specimen (1986-09-10) by E. S. NixonBRIT Collections
Distribution
This species has a distribution across the southeastern United States, from North Carolina down into Flordia, and west into eastern Texas.
Plant specimen (1997-04-19) by K. A. HeubergerBRIT Collections
Fruit
The large fleshy fruits and showing flowers attract plenty of birds and other pollinators such as beetles and flies. A single tree can be the host for vast biodiversity in an ecosystem.
Tap to explore
It is no surprise these large, beautiful trees have captured the human eye as well. Southern magnolias can be found in cultivation all over urban environments.
Why is this connection important?
The North American Orchid Conservation Center (NAOCC) lists this species as rare in Alabama, Mississippi, and North Carolina.
Herbarium specimens and studies like these help us understand the preferences of these species, use the best conservation tactics, and protect the habitat of both the Southern Magnolias and Greenfly Orchids.
Take a Moment
Next time you're walking by a Southern Magnolia, look up and see if it has any Greenfly Orchids latched on. Let us appreciate this epiphytic love story and fight for the conservation of these precious habitats.
Story created by Ashley Bordelon, Philecology Herbarium, Botanical Research Institute of Texas and Fort Worth Botanic Garden.
Orchid specimens mobilized with additional support from the U.S. National Science Foundation Award: Digitization TCN: Collaborative Research: Digitizing "endless forms": Facilitating Research on Imperiled Plants with Extreme Morphologies (Award No. 1802019).
References: Bergstrom, Bradley J., and Richard Carter. “Host-Tree Selection by an Epiphytic Orchid, Epidendrum Magnoliae Muhl. (Green Fly Orchid), in an Inland Hardwood Hammock in Georgia.” Southeastern Naturalist, vol. 7, no. 4, 2008, pp. 571–580. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/20204032. Accessed 25 June 2021.
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