Brian,
In Stearn's 'Botanical Latin' (the BIBLE) on page 236, Stearn tells us that
albus means white!
Some people do call individual clones, that lack anthocyanin or flavonoid,
(but don't end up being white) 'alba'. This is improper. It would be the
same thing if I called a yellow flower carmineus (red), it is using the
wrong color term to describe the flower and is misleading. In this it is not
what it lacks, it is what the color actually is.
Most of the improper usage goes back to the late 1700s and early 1800s and
much has carried over to the present. But just because they used these terms
improperly then, does not mean we should perpetuate this inaccuracy in the
present. Even the best of us make mistakes, but we all should strive to
learn and use the proper terms.
icones
Icones,
I'm a hobbyist orchid grower, not a botanist, but based upon a talk one
well-respected speaker gave to our orchid society several years ago, my
understanding is that some 'alba' orchids with suppressed anthocyanin (red
or purple) and flavonoid (yellow) pigmentation can still appear greenish
due to the inheritance and distribution of chlorophyll within the plant,
including the flowers. Can any of our resident taxonomists and botanists
confirm or deny this understanding?
_______________________________________________
the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD)
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