K Barrett writes >>>I'd be tempted to agree with you except that people tell me that few orchids
ever set pods in the wild.>>
I don't think this is very true. I travel to see orchids in the wild quite extensively and for many species almost 70% of inflorescence has at least one capsule. I will agree that there are some species, ie. the Cattleya that seem a bit more reluctant to encapsulate.
I was just in Brazil in Minas Gerais and saw hundreds of Laelias with set pods. Almost every Pabstia, Pleurothallis, and Oncidium had a least one pod on its inflorescence. There are many species, especially terrestrails that almost every flower encapsulates, ie Oeoclades maculata and many of the Pleurothallids.
Possibly an area that has no encapsulated flowers on any orchids may be missing the required pollenators due to overforesting, pesticide spraying etc. I have seen this more evident in developed nations and in more populated areas more than in wild areas.
Jay Pfahl
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