I've posted the bloom sequence of this particular P. roth on the Paph Gallery, but something Heather mentioned there about looking inside the pouch made me take a very close look at the bloom. I did notice some strange things, and I wonder if this is "normal" for a roth bloom.

For one, the staminode looks strange to me. It this what they look like on a roth???

Also, I'd been looking around about pollinating Paphs and stumbled on Matt Pederson's web site which is very informative. It seems to me that Paphs have two pollinia sacs...one on each side. This roth has two pollinia sacs on each side, making 4 in total. Is this normal? Here is a photo. It is the best I could get as it was quite the close-up.

http://pic17.picturetrail.com:80/VOL796/117745/2501289/100623049.jpg

It just seems so different from anything I've seen when I've looked at the Breeding info. Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks!!!!

Looks like an infected colon from a colonoscophy :poke: I can't spell is that even close? I have now idea Susan, just couldn't pass it up. Good luck! Maybe it is a mutant and worth millions :)

Susan, I think you have a little freaker there. :therethere:

I had to go back and look at the staminoid front on - can you post a close up facing the staminoid? It looks like it is missing the middle part? Maybe? cannot tell quite.

It is a fabulous shot though, and you captured the inside magenta I was talking about perfectly! I find most mahogany paphs have this coloration going on. A great illusion - I wonder if the bright inner color is to attract the pollinators. It fascinates me!

Looks like an infected colon from a colonoscophy :poke: I can't spell is that even close? I have now idea Susan, just couldn't pass it up. Good luck! Maybe it is a mutant and worth millions :)

Hi Tadd, I'm wayyy older than you are and having "been there/done that" gross medical procedure in person, I must agree. YUK!!!They do look like polyphs. We can get into some great jokes here! (Better put them on another topic) Viagra comes to mind, but I want to keep this as a Family rated forum. But there are 4, not 2 pollinia sacs. And that staminode looks so weird??

I'm very curious about all the pollinia sacs. I think this plant wants to breed.

Very cool looking though. Is it on all the blooms?

You can hybridize four plants with the one flower!

Hmm, perhaps too many hormones and an oversexed male? :twisted:

It's scopy and polyp btw... :poke: I was into the medical stuff too.

No, that is totally normal.

A pollen anther is actually 4 (or was it 2?) nodules of pollen, which typically appear to be 1, or in this case, two. If you open up the flower of a bud that has not opened, you will likely see it well sectioned out.

for example:

http://www.orchidtrek.com/ageflower/Pollen_Removed.jpg

Thanks Steve!!! It will take me a little time to understand what you said. (like a few years!) I will try to understand what you just posted!! I appreciate your input. It is just a little (understatement) over my head right now. But I'll get there!!!

Heather, I will take a full frontal :D photo of the staminode tomorrow. I'm glad that you saw what you wanted to see in the pouch, as I also did not understand what you wanted to see. I'm happy that the photo showed you what you wanted to see.

I just do not understand all those pollinia sacs on this plant. If anyone wants some pollinia from this, I would be happy to send it as a freebee. I don't know whether this roth is breeding quality, but there seems to be extra polllinia from this bloom. (an understatement) All I would ask would to have one flask of it to compot for myself.

Marcus,

This was a first bloom for this roth. It only had one flower. What you see is it. I'm curious about Fred's (Ray's) bloom as we think we bought our roths from the same vendor on ebay.

Ernie,

You don't know how much I was tempted to put this bloom on the Viagra Road Show!:evil::evil:

And my spelling has much to be desired!! I know!! It's OK! I was an English Major in college, and got the degree. Still there are some spellings that elude me. And I tend to take the lazy route and not constult with my spell checker.

very different :notlooking:

Pouches that appear "brown" (I prefer the term mahogany) are often green, with a magenta wash in the interior, which, showing through the green pouch, make it appear brown from the outside. :)
I think it is a really interesting example of color mixing.

Hey Heather, I took shots of the staminode, front on. I also compared the bloom to the P. roth that was on the web page that you posted: the one that shows flowers in sheath and in bloom. I don't think my roth is much different, as it looks like the staminode shown on the post.

Check it out:

http://pic17.picturetrail.com:80/VOL796/117745/2501289/100787615.jpg

and even closer:

http://pic17.picturetrail.com:80/VOL796/117745/2501289/100787610.jpg

So, please let me know what you think about the staminode. I think it looks like it is "normal." The extra pollen sacs are interesting, but Steve T says that is normal, too.

I'm going to have to take a closer look at my plants so I can notice these strange differences

I just looked up the FCC roths from 2004 and indeed, staminoid looks normal! I don't think I ever noticed how narrow it is. Very interesting! That's what I get for not seeing one in person.

I couldn't see any different from your photos ... perfectly paphsynthetic "bee's knee" ! As what Steve had mentioned, there are altogether 4 pollen sacs on each flower although they often look like 2 if you did not take a closer look.

Heather, I thought you said you saw one in bloom in person at one of the shows. :confused:

Heather, I thought you said you saw one in bloom in person at one of the shows. :confused:

Oh yeah! I forgot. Guess I didn't look closely enough to notice the staminoid. It was Ray's roth, I think, at the CT show. Thanks for the reminder, Pete!

Yaa the staminode on a Roth is very weird. Its supposed to attract some kind of fly that trys to lay eggs on it to feed on the fake something or other.

In the process they fall into the pouch, and the process begins.