Monday, February 20, 2012

Pretty picture: Masdevallia Caraway Moon


I don't really see what's caraway-like (or moon-like, for that matter) about this flower, but that probably just shows I'm a dull, uncreative person.


Google has no records of an orchid by the name of Masdevallia Caraway Moon. (Image searches for "Caraway Moon" bring up lots of images of shoes; I declined to investigate the reason, but I suppose someone might have named an orchid for a shoe? Or vice-versa?)


7 comments:

Unknown said...

Very interesting. The colour kind of reminds me of a faded 60s piece of furniture that my grandparents used to have. I do love the petal shapes though.

Pat said...

Aren't some Masdevallias fragrant?

mr_subjunctive said...

Pat:

Maybe. But caraway?

Pat said...

If there is anything I have learnt since a friend convinced me to smell every flower I encountered it is "don't assume anything". I found an Origanum half-way up a hill in Spain whose leaves smelt of roses, or, probably more accurately, rose geranium.

Oh gods, I just did a search and it was easy for once. Do a "find" on this page and you get twenty results for carvone, the typical majority content of caraway. Fifty-seven with "carv" in them. So Masdevallia is capable of producing caraway smells, along with a huge range of other chemicals, a veritable Sigma Aldrich of a flower.

Pherobase

Now, if I remember correctly, the Moon smells of burnt steak and gunpowder.

James David said...

Reminds me of those discovery channel documentary where this orchid suppose to have its own moth to pollinate the flowers.

It does look very unique & exotic.

Gone Tropical said...

What a Beauty!!
I never tried growing Masdevillias, I am thinking they are difficult to grow....

mr_subjunctive said...

Gone Tropical:

That's pretty much my understanding. But then, I find most orchids pretty difficult to grow.