ugly orchid

[nancy]

Saaaay - how come just about everybody says "ooh, that is so ugly" and then "but I'd buy it"?
What kind of orchid whores are we, anyway?
Cheers - Nancy

[Shirley]

IMO the ugliest orchid I've ever owned was a Den. finisterrae. I gave it away almost as soon as I saw it in bloom. Sorry, I don't even have a picture!

[natasha]

don't worry shirley, i found it for you
IOSPE PHOTOS
i think its quite a weird flower but still not ugly enough

[nancy]

Awwww - I think that Den. finesterrae is kind of cute - like the "ugly dawg" contest winner. Tufts of hair - check; snaggle-toothed - check.
Heck, I'd keep it. Nancy

[Rosim_in_BR]

It is beyond me too! Can't imagine what the breeder had in mind! It looks more like an alien, crippled frog to me! Most of times these structurally complex orchids, like Coryanthes and Stanhopea are the pinnacles of the nature’s creative capacity, true masterpieces of elegance and engeniousness, precisely defined to be extremely effective and efficient! Mixing such state of art structures frequently can only result in something much less attractive than the original parents!

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by nancy

Saaaay - how come just about everybody says "ooh, that is so ugly" and then "but I'd buy it"?
What kind of orchid whores are we, anyway?
Cheers - Nancy

[ronaldhanko]

Originally Posted by Rosim_in_BR

It is beyond me too! Can't imagine what the breeder had in mind! It looks more like an alien, crippled frog to me! Most of times these structurally complex orchids, like Coryanthes and Stanhopea are the pinnacles of the nature’s creative capacity, true masterpieces of elegance and engeniousness, precisely defined to be extremely effective and efficient! Mixing such state of art structures frequently can only result in something much less attractive than the original parents!

It's for this reason that I think (apologies to those of you who love them) the complex Paph. hybrids hideous. I like Paphs and I like many of the hybrids but I don't like these. For the rest I don't equate bizarre, strange, weird, etc, with ugly. I am fascinated by the diversity and strangeness of nature's creations.

[RJSquirrel]

ugly no, it forces you to look at it and try to figure out how to put some diapers on it....just odd doesn't have to mean ugly. curious indeed...

[Anisa]

Originally Posted by natasha

don't worry shirley, i found it for you
IOSPE PHOTOS
i think its quite a weird flower but still not ugly enough

Awww... I think it is very unusual and pretty. Perhaps I should get one

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by ronaldhanko

It's for this reason that I think (apologies to those of you who love them) the complex Paph. hybrids hideous. I like Paphs and I like many of the hybrids but I don't like these. For the rest I don't equate bizarre, strange, weird, etc, with ugly. I am fascinated by the diversity and strangeness of nature's creations.

Species snobs unite!! Very rarely, IMO are complex hybrids more interesting than the species they come from. The Catasetinae might be the only exception to this rule.