Bulbophyllum
This little beauty belongs to the enormous Bulbophyllum genus of the orchid family. Its bright orange flowers have dark red spots that inspired its scientific name, Bulbophyllum pardalotum, which means spotted like a leopard. The small flowers are 3/4 inch (2 cm) across.
This species is native to the Philippines, where it’s a neighbor to this Oberonia on the island of Luzon. The flowers open during the day and close at night, and last about a week and a half.
The Bulbophyllum genus contains hundreds of fascinating and unusual species. Some are enormous, others microscopic. Many have bizarrely shaped flowers. This spotted species doesn’t have a scent, but some in the genus produce the smell of rotting meat to attract flies to pollinate them. Although these aren’t commonly offered for sale, it’s reason enough to check the fragrance of an orchid before you buy it.
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August 25th, 2009 at 1:44 am
Rotting meat?!?! You mean there’s an orchid that smells like my fridge??? 😉
September 1st, 2009 at 7:45 pm
That’s a stunningly beautiful flower. I love the leopard spots.
September 30th, 2009 at 7:23 am
Incredible flowers! Thanks for the great photos.
November 12th, 2009 at 4:59 pm
Great warm colors. It’s certainly not an orchid you see everyday.
January 23rd, 2010 at 5:15 am
What a charmer!