Something About Orchids

Bulbophyllum romyi         I love this plant and I didn't even buy it on purpose!  It came labeled as fascinator semi-alba, which at first I was disappointed - I got over that pretty quickly.   Check out these macro shots, even the anther cap is decorated.  Each part of this flower has a distinctive texture - I highly recommend enlarging these!    Thought I would share some of the more artistic photos I took of this in my new photo nook.  Which, by the way was a great upgrade - though I did get the concentrated aroma of this Bulbophyllum.  Not the worst by far, but immediately brought to mind the bag of wet seashells that had sat in the sun for a few days - on a long car trip home from the beach.  'What on earth is that smell?'  Rotting invertabrates.  Of course we always check for creatures, but still...it's really only noticable when you stick your face in it.  Not a complaint, just an observation.  A...

Two of the best Bulbophyllums for lip movement - just a little breeze is all they need to do a convincing creature act. B. purpureorhachis (Grower - US Botanic Garden) B. barbigerum (Grower - me)

Bulbophyllum lemniscatoides "The one that looks like a bunch of dangling twigs" Grower - Mount Prospect Orchids/Helen Hersh.     Described by a friend at the show as - the one that looks like a bunch of little twigs stuck together. And I knew exactly which one she was talking about!      The little 'twigs' are suspended from the sepals by a thread, allowing them to flutter in the breeze.  The sepals themselves are dark with white hairs.  Pretty sure I would have to dissect a bloom to find the petals.  The lip is smooth and nearly black, making it a little easier to distinguish from the rest of the parts.  IF you have good eyesight.   And hold your breath.  Not because it stinks, but because those danglers really move!    Bulbophyllums have all sorts of strange adaptations to attract a pollinator.  All Bulbophyllums have a hinged lip - a characteristic of the Genus.  A fragrance of dung and dead things i...