Quote: >Iris asks: ...what is the purpose of the twist in the petals of this group?
>Harold Koopowitz [...] offers explanations for this. In brief, the twisting >enhances the visibility of the flower to its pollinators, based upon the >characteristics of insect vision. An assertion which he no doubt based upon extensive proof. :=) One rather striking observation about those Paphs graced with hairy warts is the following: seen in the early morning, with dew upon them, each callosity shines in the sun, outlining the flower in glitter. This cannot be evolutionary collateral, as I doubt that anything not pollinated by a fly or a toad will increase its attractions through warts alone, and the ubiquity of wartiness is otherwise inexplicable. Or else, to paraphrase Huxley and excite the creationists unduly, the good Lord has a remarkable enthusiasm for warts. As a further BTW, the flowers of the duller pendant Cymbidiums - bicolor, aloifolium and so on - come into their own when viewed in full sun from below. Each petal and sepal has edge ridges of large translucent cells which diffuse the sunlight and glow in the most striking way. First seen under a two tonne or so C. aloifolium in Nepal - perhaps a thousand flowers, all dangling in the early morning oblique sunshine. ______________________________ Oliver Sparrow +44 (0)1628 823187 www.chforum.org _______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
