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Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Pretty picture: Collierara Apple Blossom


Collierara is a multigeneric hybrid in the Cattleya Alliance.1 Three of the genera involved, Brassavola, Cattleya, and Laelia, are pretty ordinary -- everything has them in it -- but then there's a new one: Caularthron, which sounds less like a flower and more like someone from Greek mythology. Good old star-eyed Caularthron, people would say. Shame about that thing with Poseidon.

Judging from the pictures that come up when one searches Caularthron, I'm guessing that's where the pointier, more angular aspect of Collierara (compared to, say, Brassolaeliocattleya) comes from.

Anyway. I'm extremely fond of this one, more for the shape than the color, though the color is very nice too. I think I might even want one.

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1 Or should it be, "Cattleya alliance?" When I capitalize "alliance" I feel like I'm writing a report for history class about World War II or something.

4 comments:

  1. That is a nice one, Love the shape and colour on it.

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  2. "When I capitalize "alliance" I feel like I'm writing a report for history class about World War II or something."

    If it were "entente", you'd be totally justified in your apprehension.

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  3. "Good old star-eyed Caularthron, people would say. Shame about that thing with Poseidon."

    Pffft!
    Thanks for the LOLs this morning.
    That is a very pretty picture. I like the color even more than the shape, I think.

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  4. Often "Alliance" is capitalized in theee circumstances but I have also seen it in lower case so I don't know if it necessarily ought to be capitalized.

    You are correct as to the input of the Caularthron -- the pointer shape is its main contribution. Before all the recent taxonomy name changes, this was known as "Iwanagara". Many growers still call it by its old name. (Taxonomic name changes have been so rapid lately that many have given up on staying current until the dust finally settles.)

    When grown well, this one will bloom more than once a year and as an added bonus, it has a wonderful fragrance.

    :)

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