Zeuxine strateumatica

Description:

Lawn orchid, Soldier orchid, Soldier's orchidOrchidaceae (Orchid family)Range: Much of Asia, Papua New Guinea, and some islands of the Pacific. Introduced to the Hawaiian Islands (Oahu and East Maui) where it is usually seen in lawns and other grassy environments.Photo: Oahu, (Volunteer)I've seen this small orchid on very infrequent occasions on Oahu. The former two encounters with this species were all on well manicured lawns in open sunlight. This is the first time I seen this plant growing in a shaded area among my native ferns and plants. I do not know how it got there, but perhaps there are others growing in nearby yards and the tiny airborne seeds found their way to this odd location.Zeuxine strateumatica seems to hang around for a few years and then totally disappears. One thought, perhaps just a theory, is that they may exhaust a specific nutrients or a symbiotic fungi in the growing area needed for survival.EtymologyThe generic Zeuxine is from the Greek, zeuxi, a joining.The speciifc epithet strateumatica is from the Greek, strat, a soldier.