Description :

Of the 93 orchid species found in Guadeloupe, five are endemic and eight others are endemic to the Lesser Antilles. In Guadeloupe, two-thirds of orchids are epiphytic (using a plant as a support), one-third terrestrial, and more rarely epilithic (on rocks) or musciphile (on mosses).

Please note !
This section presents species endemic to Guadeloupe, but orchids are fairly widespread throughout the world. In Haiti, there are no fewer than 300 species, including 38 endemic ones. In Dominica, 74 orchids have been recorded, and one of these is endemic.

They are among the most sophisticated flowers in the plant kingdom. They consist of three generally colored sepals and three petals, one of which has a particular shape: the labellum. The pistil, or female organ, and the stamen, the male organ, are fused to form a column.

They can have a multitude of flowers on a long stem or, conversely, a solitary flower. These inflorescences can be terminal (at the end of the stem) or axillary (along the stem). Unlike cultivated orchid species known as “ornamental,” the flowering period is short and discreet for wild Guadeloupean species. Moreover, wild species do not necessarily flower every year!

This is determined by climatic conditions and the plant’s requirements. Orchids can also be described as bioindicators because they reveal the state and evolution of their environment.

The vanilla plant is also an orchid that grows in warm, humid tropical climates, up to an altitude of about 1,000 meters, as long as temperatures are between 20 and 30°C. The vanilla plant is a climbing vine that thrives in the undergrowth; direct sunlight destroys it.

Orchid seeds are microscopic and numerous; they are dispersed by the wind. Orchids are often pollinated by insects (bees, butterflies, etc.) or, more rarely, by hummingbirds.

They use all their artifices to attract the pollinating insect: visual (a shape or color adapted to a particular insect) and/or olfactory (secretion of nectar or emission of sex pheromones). The insect then collects the pollen, which sticks to it. It then deposits it on the pistil of another flower, carrying out the pollination without the insect’s knowledge.

Habitat :

Wild orchids are found in temperate regions but are particularly fond of habitats in intertropical zones. A tree can contain up to several hundred individuals while its immediate neighbors, possibly of the same species, have none. In Guadeloupe, they can be found on the trunks of wild cherry trees or bois bandé. But it should be noted that some forest species are better supports than others; abundance is not the rule.

Threat Factors :

In Guadeloupe, orchids are subject to various pressures and threats, such as collection by collectors or traders of species with large, beautiful flowers. In addition, many other factors are at play: habitat destruction through deforestation for agriculture, urbanization, charcoal production, trail maintenance without proper knowledge of the species, river dams, the introduction of exotic species, and the destruction of epiphyte support trees.

These threat factors are further exacerbated by natural factors such as cyclones, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes. Furthermore, many orchids exhibit a patchy distribution, with populations sometimes widely separated from each other. As a result, many orchids are now rare or endangered in Guadeloupe.