Proudly Peloric Purple...

...and white. From the San Francisco orchid show, one of the vendors had this one on display, complete with cellophane and looking for a new home, a gorgeous Ca...
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...and white. From the San Francisco orchid show, one of the vendors had this one on display, complete with cellophane and looking for a new home, a gorgeous Cattleya family hybrid. The petals resemble the lip amazingly here, due to a genetic mutation called Peloria. This type of mutation can be bred in future hybrids, though not all seedlings will possess the trait, some will only have it recessively and may pass it on further down the line. The degree of the peloria can vary widely, some will show just a dash of the lip color on the petals and some will have petals that have take on the shape of the lip as well. I've even had one moth orchid that looked normal, but on closer inspection, one of the petals, always the one on the left side, was a bit rounder and had a trace of the lip color at the center. Because of this off centered trait, this one would not be a desirable breeder, but I liked it because every flower was unique in its subtle markings and shape, but only I really knew about it.
SF, CA, USA

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