ArboretumOrchid1

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Comet Fire Report

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Highlights From Comet Fire Image Pages 1 - 9:

Most Noteworthy Plant & Animal Images

Beautiful Orchid In Edwin & Frances Hunter Arboretum

cf. Epidendrum x obrienianum

A Representative Of An Enormous Plant Family At Palomar College

W.P. Armstrong 10 July 2021

The orchid family (Orchidaceae) is the second largest family of flowering plants with at least 20,000 species. It is exceeded only by the sunflower family (Asteraceae) with at least 23,000 species. These numbers are debatable by some botanists, and of course, new species may be discovered, particularly in the canopies of tropical rain forests that have not been destroyed by humans. There are higher numbers in some plant lists; however, many of these are unresolved pending DNA cladistic analysis. There are 11 genera native to California, including the elegant lady's slipper orchid (Cypripedium) and the mycotrophic coralroot orchid (Corallorhiza). My approximate numbers come from some top plant taxonomists and botanical references. Although not many orchids grow on the Palomar College campus, I feel this very diverse and highly evolved plant family deserves to be recognized by a beautiful bright red species (Epidendrum) that grows along trails in the Arboretum. Orchids have the world's smallest seeds and are my favorite spice (vanilla), although I must admit that chocolate is a close rival. Some of the gee whiz and statistical information for this web page is from my following two Arboretum Lecture (Zoom) Topics:

Botanical Record Breakers Parts 1 & 2
Amazing Diversity Of Flowering Plants

A brilliant red Epidendrum orchid photographed along Arboretum trail on 10 July 2021. There was also a pink-flowered hybrid nearby. Originating in tropical America, there are at least 800 native species and many hybrid forms. They are commonly pollinated by hummingbirds and butterflies in nature.

By the way, people ask me if we have native orchids in San Diego County. The answer is yes. Eleven species are reported, including the lovely stream orchid (Epipactis gigantea) along perennial streams in mountain canyons. I have also seen the latter species in Death Valley!

Detail Of Orchid Flowers & Pollination
See Two Spectacular Orchid Blossoms
See The Mycotrophic Coral-root Orchid
See Orchids: The World's Smallest Seeds
See The Vanilla Orchid: A Delicious Spice
Rare Rein Orchid Following Chaparral Fire

I couldn't resist mentioning another orchid that I met on a Palomar College field expedition to Belize in 1991. In fact, this orchid happens to be the national flower of Belize. During this trip I became fascinated with logwood (Haematoxylum campechianum), the tree that spawned this Central American nation.

Disclaimer: I originally thought the wood cutters on Belize flag were logwood cutters; however, some Belize historians say the coat of arms depicts mahogany cutters from forests of Honduran mahogany trees (Swietenia macrophylla) that later became a major industry in Belize.

ARMSTRONG, W.P. 1992. "LOGWOOD: THE TREE THAT SPAWNED A NATION."

PACIFIC HORTICULTURE 53 (1): 38-43

Logwood & Brazilwood: Trees That Spawned Two Nations

The Largest Families & Genera Of Flowering Plants

The largest family of flowering plants is the ubiquitous sunflower family (Asteraceae or Compositae). Judd, W.S. et al. 2008 Plant Systematics: A Phylogenetic Approach lists 23,000 for Asteraceae, 19,500 for Orchidaceae and 18,000 for Fabaceae.] The sunflower family includes a great diversity of species, including annuals, perennials, stem succulents, vines, shrubs and trees. It is well-represented in parks and gardens throughout the world, with bedding plants, ground covers and shrubs. Familiar common names, such as daisies, marigolds, zinnias, gazanias, chrysanthemums, dandelions, thistles, ragweeds, sagebrush, cosmos and dahlias all belong to this family.

Leafy daisy (Erigeron foliosus var foliosus), a common wildflower in San Diego County. It is also native to the hillsides of coastal sage scrub adjacent to Palomar College, although I did not observe it following the Comet Fire of January 2021. It was formerly classified as E. foliosus var. stenophyllus.

Diversity Of Flowering Plants
Sunflower Family (Asteraceae)
The Legume Family (Fabaceae)

In other words, if all the 250,000+ species of flowering plants on earth were lined up at random, every 4th species would be a sunflower (Asteraceae), an orchid (Orchidaceae), or a legume (Fabaceae). If you happen to pick a legume, the odds that it will be one of the 2,000 species of locoweeds (genus Astragalus) is about one out of nine!

Largest Genera Of Flowering Plants With 800 or More Species*

FAMILY	GENUS	# OF SPECIES
ARACEAE	Anthurium	900
ASTERACEAE	Senecio Vernonia	1250 1000
BEGONIACEAE	Begonia	919
CYPERACEAE	Carex	2000
ERICACEAE	Erica Rhododendron	860 850
EUPHORBIACEAE	Euphorbia Croton**	2400 1300
FABACEAE	Astragalus* Acacia**	2000 1000
LAMIACEAE	Salvia	800
MELASTOMATACEAE	Miconia	1000
MORACEAE	Ficus	800+
ORCHIDACEAE	Bulbophyllum Dendrobium Epidendrum Pleurothallis	1000 900 800 1120
OXALIDACEAE	Oxalis	800
PHYLLANTHACEAE	Phyllanthus	1270
PIPERACEAE	Peperomia	1000
ROSACEAE	Rosa	2050
RUBIACEAE	Psychotria	1500
SOLANACEAE	Solanum	1400

* Judd, W.S., Campbell, C.S., Kellogg, E.A., Stevens, P.F., and M. J. Donoghue. 2008. Plant Systematics:
A Phylogenetic Approach (Third Edition). Sinauer Associates, Inc., Sunderland, Massachusetts.

** Some authors subdivide Euphorbia into several genera incl. the prostrate sandmats (Chamaesyce).
The On-line Plant List By Kew & Missouri Botanical Garden gives 2031 species for Euphorbia.

*** The On-line Plant List By Kew & Missouri Botanical Garden gives 2,481 accepted species
for the genus Astragalus, 2029 species for Carex, and 149 species for Rosa.

Working List Of All Known Plant Species. 2011. Kew & Missouri Botanical Garden.
Published on the Internet: www.theplantlist.org/

Astragalus (Locoweeds): One Of The Largest Plant Genera In The Legume Family

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