Expanding the ex-situ propagation project for Cayman’s Dendrophylax Ghost Orchid
Key Facts
FUNDING SCHEME Darwin Plus Local
VALUE £15,756
WHERE Cayman Islands
Summary
When extinction threatens, ex situ propagation offers a practical tool for conservation of species. Hand-pollinating flowers of Grand Cayman endemic ghost orchids (Dendrophylax fawcettii) and raising seedlings in sterile flasks of nutrient-rich media is a way to overcome the extreme pollination limitation and zero recruitment observed in dwindling natural populations. Working with orchids rescued from forest lost to development, project partners will expand the ex situ conservation population and prepare to augment the wild populations in the future.
