The Bullpen orchid
Title | Info |
---|---|
Common name | Orchid, Bullpen |
Scientific name | Stellilabium bullpenense |
Taxonomic group | Orchidaceae |
Source | Dan L. Perlman |
Ecosystems | Forests |
Forests | Tropical rainforest |
Location | The Bullpen,Monteverde,Puntarenas,Costa Rica,North America |
Stellilabium bullpenense, The Bullpen Orchid, Costa Rica. This tiny orchid (less than half an inch or a few mm across) is known from only one site in Costa Rica, a pasture known as the Bullpen. This pasture contains about 400 trees, many covered with epiphytes such as this one. Orchidologist John Atwood discovered three species of orchid new to science in the Bullpen, all three on a single branch and all three in the genus Stellilabium. This magical pasture, which is surrounded by intact forest, was set aside as part of a working farm in the early 1950s by John and Doris Campbell. The Campbells welcomed many dozens of biologists onto their land over the decades, and many master theses and Ph.D. dissertations were researched on their land. Another of the Stellilabium orchids was named in recognition of their efforts, Stellilabium campbellorum.