The Orchid Garden

Could someone help me?

Question:

How about posting a picture on alt.binaries.pictures.gardens ? I would like to see this. SuE – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – We’ve been talking about black orchids and, shocks and surprises, I just bloomed a seedling which has turned out — well, from about 10′ away, the flowers appear to be black in daylight.  When you get up close, they are a very, very dark red/purple, the exact color of grape juice in a glass.  It’s a Rhync gigantea x Rhv Sri-Siam ‘Dumrong Red’.  Has about 30 concolor flowers on the spike, about 4cm in diameter, and they are so thick and leathery and shiny they look like they are made of plastic or wax.  I have grown many vandaceous orchids, but these are the weirdest flowers I have ever seen, am not sure I find them attractive.  Over the last couple months, I had lost two or three young spikes until I tried putting the plant in the shade while the spike was forming.  That worked. Does anyone else have one of these crosses which has turned out this color? CJWatson

Response:

We’ve been talking about black orchids and, shocks and surprises, I just bloomed a seedling which has turned out — well, from about 10′ away, the flowers appear to be black in daylight.  When you get up close, they are a very, very dark red/purple, the exact color of grape juice in a glass.  It’s a Rhync gigantea x Rhv Sri-Siam ‘Dumrong Red’.  Has about 30 concolor flowers on the spike, about 4cm in diameter, and they are so thick and leathery and shiny they look like they are made of plastic or wax.  I have grown many vandaceous orchids, but these are the weirdest flowers I have ever seen, am not sure I find them attractive.  Over the last couple months, I had lost two or three young spikes until I tried putting the plant in the shade while the spike was forming.  That worked. Does anyone else have one of these crosses which has turned out this color? CJWatson

Response:

The warts are a real turn off, otherwise it would be nice. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Yucch!  The warty surface sure detracts from the appearance, doesn’t it!?! — Ray Barkalow < First Rays Orchids http://www.firstrays.com Secure Online Ordering & Lots of Free Info! http://www.takahashiorchids.com/Dtps.Black%20Butterfly%20117.JPG Here is a blackish Phal that Matt mentioned in his reply.  They may have it all black one of these days but if it is all worty, I don’t know how attractive it would be. Stephen Is there such a flower are a black orchid? As my girlfriend says that they are her favourite, but doesn’t think they exist (don’t ask, I didn’t). If so would anyone know as to where to get one. Preferably in London. — Phil Standen

Response:

Hi, Kenni, Coelogyne pandurata is also known as black orchid; however, Enc. cochleata is usually the first to meet that description.  I did see some Enc cochleatas in Belize that were a very deep purple in the center. . . . Pam Everything Orchid Management System http://www.pe.net/~profpam/page3.html —– – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – There are a couple of different orchids that are called, in different areas, "black orchids."  In Belize, for example, Enc. cochleata bears that nickname.  None that I have seen are really black. — Kenni Judd Juno Beach Orchids http://www.jborchids.com Is there such a flower are a black orchid? As my girlfriend says that they are her favourite, but doesn’t think they exist (don’t ask, I didn’t). If so would anyone know as to where to get one. Preferably in London. — Phil Standen

Response:

If I am not mistaken many of these dark blotchy Phals like this are the results of intentional somaclonal mutations…or seed produced from cultivars that were originally created during the cloning process.  Also, this ‘breeding line’ always look so flat in pictures but every time I come across one in real live they have very reflexed petals. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Yucch!  The warty surface sure detracts from the appearance, doesn’t it!?! — Ray Barkalow < First Rays Orchids http://www.firstrays.com Secure Online Ordering & Lots of Free Info! http://www.takahashiorchids.com/Dtps.Black%20Butterfly%20117.JPG Here is a blackish Phal that Matt mentioned in his reply.  They may have it all black one of these days but if it is all worty, I don’t know how attractive it would be. Stephen Is there such a flower are a black orchid? As my girlfriend says that they are her favourite, but doesn’t think they exist (don’t ask, I didn’t). If so would anyone know as to where to get one. Preferably in London. — Phil Standen

Response:

http://www.takahashiorchids.com/Dtps.Black%20Butterfly%20117.JPG Here is a blackish Phal that Matt mentioned in his reply.  They may have it all black one of these days but if it is all worty, I don’t know how attractive it would be. Stephen

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Is there such a flower are a black orchid? As my girlfriend says that they are her favourite, but doesn’t think they exist (don’t ask, I didn’t). If so would anyone know as to where to get one. Preferably in London. — Phil Standen

Response:

Yucch!  The warty surface sure detracts from the appearance, doesn’t it!?! — Ray Barkalow < First Rays Orchids http://www.firstrays.com Secure Online Ordering & Lots of Free Info!

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – http://www.takahashiorchids.com/Dtps.Black%20Butterfly%20117.JPG Here is a blackish Phal that Matt mentioned in his reply.  They may have it all black one of these days but if it is all worty, I don’t know how attractive it would be. Stephen Is there such a flower are a black orchid? As my girlfriend says that they are her favourite, but doesn’t think they exist (don’t ask, I didn’t). If so would anyone know as to where to get one. Preferably in London. — Phil Standen

Response:

The only one I have ever heard of being called the Black Orchid is Coelogyne pandurata because of its mostly-black lip.  However, I feel that this is stretching the point since the rest of the flower and lip are green.  But that’s what its common name is; and who am I to argue with history? Have you tried asking your girlfriend what the scientific name is? CJWatson

Response:

In the comic strip Brenda Starr, Brenda’s always absent boyfreind, Basil, was never able to leave the jungles of Somewhere because he was dependant on the serum he derived from black orchids. Or something like that.

I had forgotten about the black orchid in the Brenda Starr comic strip until recently when I discovered the following excerpt reprinted from the Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean (published by Random House, Inc.) in their book The Sweet Breathing of Plants, Women Writing on the Green World by Linda Hogan and Brenda Peterson (Editors) (Published by North Point Press) "There are white orchids, but there is no such thing as a black orchid, even though people have been wanting a black orchid forever. It was black-orchid extract that Basil St. John, the comic-book character who was the boyfriend of comic-book character Brenda Starr, needed in order to control his rare and mysterious blood disease. I once asked Bob Fuchs, the owner of R.F. Orchids in Homestead, Florida, if he thought a black orchid would ever be discovered or be produced by hybridizing. "No. Never in real life," he said. "Only in Brenda Starr"

Response:

Some orchids appear black in regular indoor light but when you take them out into full sun it is obvious that it is an intensely dark burgundy.  I’m sure this is true for any flower.  Some of the orchid examples include those that are completely "black" not just part of the flower. Paphiopedilum – vini-colored type hybrids Maxillaria variabils or tenuifolia Cymbidium canalicultatum and some of its hybrids Some recent phalaenopsis hybrids are approaching black. A few phaenopsis-type dendrobiums are close to being black such as http://www.geocities.com/brassia.geo/Den_merl.jpg which is Den. Merle Sado – lots of hybrids from this have been made to appear near black. Matthew Swift Swift’s Orchids www.swiftsorchids.com

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Is there such a flower are a black orchid? As my girlfriend says that they are her favourite, but doesn’t think they exist (don’t ask, I didn’t). If so would anyone know as to where to get one. Preferably in London. — Phil Standen

Response:

In the comic strip Brenda Starr, Brenda’s always absent boyfreind, Basil, was never able to leave the jungles of Somewhere because he was dependant on the serum he derived from black orchids. Or something like that. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Is there such a flower are a black orchid? As my girlfriend says that they are her favourite, but doesn’t think they exist (don’t ask, I didn’t). If so would anyone know as to where to get one. Preferably in London. — Phil Standen

Response:

Seems to be a local eastern name for a Tacca Chantrieri or "Bat Flower" (apparently not an orchid). Which seem fairly abundant. — Phil Standen

Response:

Well if that is all it takes to please her, lucky you, you are getting off easy!

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Seems to be a local eastern name for a Tacca Chantrieri or "Bat Flower" (apparently not an orchid). Which seem fairly abundant. — Phil Standen

Response:

There are a couple of different orchids that are called, in different areas, "black orchids."  In Belize, for example, Enc. cochleata bears that nickname.  None that I have seen are really black. — Kenni Judd Juno Beach Orchids http://www.jborchids.com

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Is there such a flower are a black orchid? As my girlfriend says that they are her favourite, but doesn’t think they exist (don’t ask, I didn’t). If so would anyone know as to where to get one. Preferably in London. — Phil Standen

Response:

Is there such a flower are a black orchid? As my girlfriend says that they are her favourite, but doesn’t think they exist (don’t ask, I didn’t). If so would anyone know as to where to get one. Preferably in London. — Phil Standen

Response:

Filed under: Cymbidium Orchids

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