Indochina – Hermetospheres

Succeeding generations (3): Ludisia discolor

If hermetospheres are supposed to last over years, it is advantageous to work with plants that are able to produce offspring under the particular restrictions given (a.o. limited space, unlikely pollination). The terrestrial orchid Ludisia discolor has its own way of ensuring offspring in the absence of pollinators. The key to this type of vegetative propagation…
Read more: Succeeding generations (3): Ludisia discolor
The orchid flower that lost its symmetry

The ‘jewel orchid’ Ludisia discolor is common in culture, and reports from fellow hermetosphere enthusiasts as well as the description of the orchid’s natural habitat made me confident that it would also thrive in the closed container. My experience so far has proved me right. Jewel orchids are cultivateed mainly for their patterned leaves and…
Read more: The orchid flower that lost its symmetry
A jungle in the making

One of the most fascinating aspects of hermetospheres is to see how plant communities develop over years in a confined space – with only minimal intervention. The picture below shows the current state of one of my first containers. How it became what it is today is this story. One of my first containers ever…
Read more: A jungle in the making
Jewels of the closed terrarium?

Since the times of the ‘plant hunters’ of the colonial era, orchids have held a special fascination for plant lovers. Only a small proportion of tropical orchids live with roots anchored in the soil (terrestrial), far more live as epiphytes on other plants. They obtain moisture and nutrients from the precipitation water that runs down…
Read more: Jewels of the closed terrarium?
Root or shoot?

A primeval plant that grows easily in hermetospheres provides insights into the early history of plant development. Initially I had Selaginella uncinata, a spikemoss, growing in a 1 litre jar for a few weeks as a trial. That is how I found that the plant thrives under hermetosphere conditions and spreads quickly (see picture below).…
Read more: Root or shoot?
Succeeding generations (1): Biophytum sensitivum

The title of his article can be understood in two ways. If you have read my [About], you know that my goal in dealing with hermetospheres is to design miniature systems in which each plant reproduces over several generations. With this post, I begin a series of successful examples of second or third generation plants…
Read more: Succeeding generations (1): Biophytum sensitivum
A tiny cosmopolitan

When I started with hermetospheres, mosses were not my first priority. They sometimes came as a stowaway with other plants, and I usually let them grow. They did not trouble and formed a welcome ground cover. Moss first caught my attention when spore capsules developed on long, thin stems in my very first hermetosphere jar.…
Read more: A tiny cosmopolitan
Plant on the move

The “little tree plant” (Biophytum sensitivum) is very popular among terrarium hobbyists. Its natural habitat are wet lands of tropical India and South-East Asia, where it grows in the shades of trees and shrubs, in grass lands at low and medium altitudes (Sakthivel and Guruvayoorappan 2012). It looks like a miniature palm tree, is perennial,…
Read more: Plant on the move
Pyrrosia nummulariifolia

You might wonder why this post is categorized as both success and failure. Let me begin with the success. When I started my jar designated to Myanmar in mid-August 2021, I placed a short rhizome cutting of P. nummulariifolia along the border of the substrate. Now, almost a year later, it is well established and…
Read more: Pyrrosia nummulariifolia
Acclimation (1): Ficus punctata

Closed glass containers inevitably create extreme conditions for plant growth. This is especially the case for relative humidity, which can be assumed to be close to 100% at all times. Most tropical plants can deal with this, and hardly ever I could observe obvious changes from “normal” greenhouse conditions, where my plants usually come from,…
Read more: Acclimation (1): Ficus punctata

Category: Indochina