Chaz,

If you want to grow orchids and are willing to use your mind rather than
your heart as guidance (a rare occurrence), point your browser to my website
and click on the "Free information" link. From there, start immediately on
the "Beginner's Advice" and go on from there.

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Artwork, Books and Lots of Free Info!


"chaz" wrote in message
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chaz wrote:
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chaz wrote:
I saw these on ebay and want to know what they are.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Orchid-flask-Rhy...QQcmdZViewItem


Umm, I'll take a wild stab and guess that its a flask of Rhynchostylis
gigantea seedlings.

Was there something specific you wanted to know beyond their identity?


I guess a little about the variety and why they are in a bottle

Rhynchostylis gigantea is a southeast Asian orchid species. It usually
has white flowers with pink spots, but these seedlings are presumably
the offspring of a plant with solid pink flowers. It likes bright
light, warm conditions, and high humidity, and it's usually grown in
baskets, so that the roots can dry rapidly after watering.

regarding the bottle:
Orchid seed in nature germinates and grows with the aid of fungi.
Since this situation is difficult to replicate in cultivation, the
orchid seed is instead sown on sterile nutrient agar in flasks. The
seedlings grow in flask until their leaves and roots are large enough
to be potted up. As an added bonus, since the flasks are sterile, they
can be more easily shipped internationally.

If you don't have prior experience growing orchids, I'd suggest bidding
on an established seedling rather than a flask (or better yet, find a
local nursery that sells blooming-size plants).

Hope this helps.


Thats a lot of help. Actually, im a liitle new to orchids (if my ignorance
hasnt shown thru already) and would like to start a collection, but dont
have a clue what to start with.