What kind of root does the orchid have that is called the "dragon root"?
This article, "Plant Knowledge Series", shares an introduction to the orchid plant, focusing on the question of what kind of root is the "dragon root" in orchids. Let's explore and learn together.
In orchids, the term "dragon root" and "dragon root seedling" have true and false distinctions. The so-called true "dragon root seedling" is actually formed by the germination of seeds, also known as "naturally born seedlings". As we know, orchid seeds are very small, numerous, and light. After the capsule of the orchid matures and splits open, the seeds are scattered in their original native place. When encountering wind, these light seeds may be carried away, leaving their hometown, flying far away, and scattered in different places. In suitable habitats such as mountain slopes, forest areas, or ravines, some of the scattered seeds take root, sprout, and grow leaves, settle down, and thrive. In nature, after orchid seeds germinate, they first form "dragon roots" in the soil. These "dragon roots" are not the actual roots of orchids but the rhizomes of orchids. When the "dragon roots" reach the soil surface, the tip swells to form a small pseudobulb, which then sends out roots downward and leaves upward, growing into a seedling. This type of orchid seedling with "dragon roots" is called "naturally born seedling", commonly known as "dragon root seedling" or "dragon root seedling born from seeds". Generally speaking, only the primary plant has dragon roots, while secondary buds do not.
Dragon roots are small and dense, with short internodes that are tender and brittle, numerous nodes and internodes, and each node has a dormant bud, which can potentially sprout a new naturally born seedling. Generally, the lifespan of (Y-T-L) roots is about 2 years. When the young plant grows strong and the pseudobulb forms, the dragon eggs fall off on their own, and the dragon roots and eggs do not regenerate. After the primary plant's dragon roots decompose, they leave behind a papillae-like substance for a long time, with the traces of the dragon roots still faintly discernible.
There are also two situations with true dragon roots and dragon root seedlings: one is the dragon root seedling from a single seed germination. In nature, most of these dragon root seedlings are weak, single-stemmed young plants, with only (Y-T-L) roots directly below the bud, in a vertical or near-vertical position. In the mountains, most of the young single-stemmed orchid seedlings belong to this type of dragon root seedling, and sometimes one can collect dozens of such dragon root seedlings in a single trip. These dragon root seedlings are small and weak, and their management is very laborious, with flowers rarely seen within 5-8 years. The second is the ginger-like dragon root. The ginger-like dragon root, also known as the block-like dragon root, resembles ginger or coral, with the orchid plant growing from the block-like stem. The formation of the ginger-like dragon root may be due to the simultaneous dense germination of tens of thousands of seed particles after the orchid capsule falls to the ground, entangled together in a block-like stem. Sometimes, several to dozens of dragon root seedlings grow together from this type of ginger-like dragon root.
Some people suggest that dragon root seedlings are prone to new mutations, with a probability of about 1.4%. When evaluating dragon roots, it is said that longer roots are superior, shorter roots are inferior, short internodes are better, and long internodes are worse. The more peculiar the shape of the dragon root, the better. Whether these views can be validated remains to be seen.
About the formation of false dragon root seedlings. Generally, the pseudobulbs of orchids grow together, connected by a short underground stem. During the growth process in nature, due to some reason, such as being buried too deep in the soil or pressed by large stones, the growth is inhibited, endangering the survival of the orchid cluster, which may lead to the sprouting of a relatively long bamboo-like root (false dragon root) that extends to an appropriate place to form a new bud,生根长叶, and form a new pseudobulb. This bamboo-like underground stem is also commonly referred to as "dragon root", and the plant growing from it is called "dragon root seedling". The "dragon root" that is said to be "hard to find even if you dig three feet into the ground" in the orchid world may refer to this type of dragon root that is sprouted from a deeply buried orchid plant in the soil. Some say that similar situations can occur in potted orchids at home, where the pseudobulbs are buried too deep in the potting soil, leading to the formation of similar "dragon root seedlings". This view also awaits confirmation from orchid enthusiasts.
In recent years, due to the belief that dragon root seedlings are prone to produce new mutated varieties, many people, driven by profit or the desire for good strains, have blindly purchased or excessively dug up dragon root seedlings in the mountains, causing devastating damage to orchid resources. Admittedly, some famous orchid strains such as "Han Guang" and "Wan Dai Fu" in the (T-W) orchid world were cultivated from dragon root seedlings, and the Mo orchid with triple-petaled flowers has unique roots, scales, leaves, dragon roots, and three-sided thorns, which is an indisputable fact. In reality, dragon root seedlings may produce artistic leaves and unusual flowers, but this is only a possibility. Because famous strains are rare treasures. It is precisely because "unusual flowers have characteristics, but not all flowers with characteristics produce unusual flowers". "Dragon roots" are just one of the characteristics of fine orchids, but it is not the case that all dragon root seedlings with dragon roots will frequently produce fine strains.
This article shares all the content about what kind of root is the "dragon root" in orchids. Green plant enthusiasts may refer to this for reference.