The Stove House

Paphiopedilum is a genus of Orchids native to Asia and Melanesia.  The spectacular flowers give this group its common name of ‘Slipper Orchids’.  Orchid flowers have evolved into unusual and often bizarre forms connected with the pollination mechanism.  Some species are dependent upon a single species of insect for pollination.

Paphiopedilum are much sought after by collectors, and excessive collecting of highly prized species endangers natural populations.  Many of them are now reproduced by modern micropropagation techniques, where many thousands of plants can be produced from a small amount of tissue cultured in sterile media.

Aechmea fasciata is a native of Brazilian rain forests, where it grows on tree branches.  The small flowers are mostly hidden by the bright pink modified leaves or bracts that surround the base of each flower, and these provide a showy advertisement for pollinators in the gloom of the tree canopy.

Aechmea is a member of the Bromeliad family whose plants have evolved to cope with habitats that may occasionally be dry.  Having a poorly developed root system, Aechmea obtains most of its water and nutrients by trapping drips and rainwater in the ‘tank’ formed by the leaf rosettes; these aerial ‘ponds’ are often home to interesting animal communities, including tree frogs.