Research Interests

For many years I have taken an interest in orchids and the specific conditions required for germination of their seeds and survival of mature plants.  Family Orchidaceae is the largest monocot family, containing an immense diversity of species and flower forms.  Most of these species are found in rainforests and humid, warm regions.  However, several species can be found in Indiana, including the Lady's Slipper orchid and Ladies' Tresses, or Spiranthes.  Orchids have some unusual features:

• Many are epiphytes, which grow on the branches of trees.  Others can be parasitic.

• They require a close association with endomycorrhizal fungi in order to grow.

This requirement of endomycorrhizal fungi in the soil makes orchids nearly impossible to raise from seed.  In the wild, orchids produce millions of seeds, a few of which will find suitable conditions to germinate and grow.  The beauty of orchid flowers makes them highly desirable for gardeners, but nurseries have trouble growing these finicky plants and supplying them to consumers.

Some nurseries dig up orchids from the wild, decimating wild populations.  This practice has lead to many orchid species becoming endangered and nearly extinct.  Digging up orchids from their natural habitat is harmful because these plants cannot survive disturbance or transplanting.  While nurseries that steal orchids from the wild may be able to sell them cheaply, the plants quickly die.  The ethical bane on digging orchids from the wild combined with the difficulty of getting seeds to germinate has lead to outrageous prices on orchid plants.  Some nurseries may sell plants they painstakingly raised from seed for $500 and more.

Discovering a novel way of controlling the amount of endomycorrhizal fungi in soil and culture media may allow researchers and nurseries alike to raise orchids from seed.  This is an important research area both for the economic value and the hope of restoring wild populations that have been destroyed by past abuse.  By planting laboratory raised seedlings of rare orchids, these beautiful species may be able to recover and be kept from extinction.