Peter O'Byrne wrote, regarding catch roots: > I suspect that the true function is something to do with ants, which are > always > closely associated with these plants in the > wild, at least in S.E. Asia.
Two possibilities spring to mind immediately: Perhaps the catch roots provide a structure in which the ants can construct their nest. However, the observation that covering the catch roots would kill them seems to argue against this hypothesis. Alternatively, perhaps the plant needs roots that are outside of the ant nest. If conditions within the ant carton are relatively dry, the external catch roots might absorb moisture, while the roots inside the ant nest absorb nutrients. Viateur quoted Arditti regarding catch roots/trash baskets in Coryanthes. I have large specimens of C. thivii and C. elegantium that show no evidence of producing catch roots. So, either catch roots are not ubiquitous in Coryanthes, or there is some environmental trigger that my greenhouse plants do not experience. Regards, Nick -- Nicholas Plummer [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [email protected] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
