This NOID surprised me

[RosieC]

It's gorgeous!

[czygyny]

That is one awesome looking flower! That would be at the top of my list of ones to look forward to the yearly bloomings!

[topiarybud]

Another bud is blooming.

[topiarybud]

blooming...

[czygyny]

Originally Posted by topiarybud

blooming...

Showoff!

[Connie Star]

Originally Posted by PaphMadMan

The word peloric is somewhat misunderstood. It is commonly thought to mean that the petals of an orchid flower have taken on some characteristics (pattern, shape, color) of the lip, as the flower in your picture has. While that is one example of a peloric flower, that isn't all there is to it.

Any change in a bilaterally symmetrical flower (like an orchid) that makes it closer to radial symmetry (like a lily) is peloric. Sometimes a flower with extra parts (petals, sepals, lips, columns, or any combination) gets called peloric, but it usually isn't. Those flowers are usually less like radial symmetry, not more.

There are Dendrobiums (probably other orchids too) where the lip looks exactly like petals (instead of the petals looking like the lip). This is also peloric.

There are Cymbidiums and Cattleyas where the lateral sepals take on some characteristics of the lip. These are not peloric, though they are often called peloric.

Also, peloric flowers may or may not be mutants. A mutation must be an inheritable change. Sometimes flowers are peloric because of disruption of development of the flower at early stages, sometimes caused by environment, toxins, etc. It isn't genetic it may or may not every happen again, and it can't be inherited, so it isn't a mutation. This applies to any kind of deformed flower. If it can't be inherited it isn't a mutation.

Thanks for the explanation. I've always wondered what peloric meant. Everyone seems to have a different explanation. And it's not in Websters dictionary!

[OCRC_Dir_China]

Fascinating.........