Tolumnia bahamensis, also referred to as “Florida’s Dancing Lady”, is a native perennial flowering plant of Florida that is in the Orchidaceae. The habit of this plant is herbaceous and the typical height of T. bahamensis ranges between 8 to 12 inches and requires partial or dappled shade to thrive (National Gardening Association, 2014). Tolumnia bahamensis has a racemose inflorescence with 10 to 50 flowers. The white flowers, despite their size, are not only aesthetically pleasing, but quite showy and range from 1.5 to 2 cm. The flowers are considered zygomorphic, simply meaning the flowers are bilaterally symmetrical. The flowering time for this plant is in the late spring or early summer, mainly between May and June, peaking in June. The plant is referred to as a dancing lady because the small flowers are bright with what appears to look like a skirt and outstretched side lobes resembling dancing ladies and the ‘bodice’ of the dress has yellow-colored protuberances that add to the resemblance of a feminine figure (FL Natives, 2008). The labellum, otherwise known as the modified petal of an orchid is lobed and the color of the labellum ranges from many different colors including green to brown, pink to red, yellow and white (Braem, 2010). The leaves of T. bahamensis are arranged alternately and the leaf blade shape is linear while the leaf blade tips are acuminate. The leaves are also evergreen. The plant typically has 4-8 leaves connected by a thin rhizome. The underground structures of this plant are bulbs.
There are many different efforts to conserve Tolumnia bahamensis or more commonly known as the orchid. Tolumnia bahamensis is an especially peculiar flower because of its structure and that structure has evolved from an ancient plant family. They have unique pollination syndromes and complex symbiotic interactions with animals and fungi. T. bahamensis is an endangered species, especially north of Mexico because of their high sensitivity to habitat changes (Krupnick, 2013). The Global Strategy for Plant Conservation has 16 targets that they are using to conserve the orchid. Some of them have been successful and others have not, but the article by Krupnick focuses on 9 of those 16. These efforts to conserve are really focusing on educating people about the orchid and making information readily available to anyone who wants to know about the orchid. They have several goals that they wish to accomplish in the conservation of orchids. Some of these goals include developing a seed bank collection, an international collection of mycorrhizal fungi, techniques to conserve the genetic diversity, use the seed and fungi banks to develop techniques, support efforts through habitat conservation, and to develop web-based materials that will provide up-to-date information on the conservation of North American orchids (Krupnick, 2013). The conservation status of T. bahamensis is in progress but has a long way to go before all of the native orchids are conserved. There are funds that are needed and organizations that will be contributing to these efforts.
