Peloric ? Mini Phal in bloom
 

I just got this unusual Mini at our Fresh Market. I didn't want any more Phals, but I thought this was such a beauty I couldn't turn it down.

So pretty, what lovely colour!

Yes it does look semi-peloric. Peloric is when the petals mimic the lip making it more radially symetrical, in this case it's starting to mimic the lip but not all the way there.

Nice find!

I think you're slicing that a little too finitely, Rosie. The petals certainly "mimic" the lip. No, they're not identical, but I don't think "mimic" requires that.

Way to go, great find.

OK, I used to think of it like you are saying, but saw people criticised for calling such ones peloric, because they don't exactly look like the lip.

I'm happy to call them peloric :biggrin:

I always thought that having blooms based upon radial rather than bilateral symmetry was the definition for peloric in orchids. I'm based upon bilateral symmetry and both halves came from the factory reasonably similar for the intended purpose, but hardly identical. Looked at that way, 2 out of 3 ain't bad at all!

One correct definition of peloric is any change in a normally bilaterally symmetrical flower that makes it closer to radial symmetry. It doesn't have to be perfect. Any change that makes the petals and the lip more similar to each other is peloric because it increases radial symmetry. Any change that does not make the flower closer to radial symmetry is not peloric.

Or we could just call them weirdoes and that would take care of them all