# A rarity



## theorchidzone (Sep 2, 2016)

Guess the genus and species. (Before searching!!!!)

This is not my plant. At the nursery of a friend.


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## naoki (Sep 2, 2016)

Very nice, is it Masdevallia caudivolvula?


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## theorchidzone (Sep 2, 2016)

Darn. An expert! Quiz is over.

I saw a picture of this one almost 30 years ago. First time I have seen a flower in person. My friend has 2. He sibbed it. 



naoki said:


> Very nice, is it Masdevallia caudivolvula?


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## Redtwist (Sep 2, 2016)

Thats not an orchid. Its a very small alien.


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## NYEric (Sep 2, 2016)

Thanks for sharing.


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## Ozpaph (Sep 2, 2016)

It should be called 'medusa' something...


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## Ozpaph (Sep 2, 2016)

Redtwist said:


> Thats not an orchid. Its a very small alien.



That reminds me to watch Prometheus again.


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## Lanmark (Sep 2, 2016)

That's pretty cool!


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## JAB (Sep 2, 2016)

I call Naoki on my trivial pursuit orchid team! 

Freaky looking!


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## naoki (Sep 2, 2016)

theorchidzone said:


> Darn. An expert! Quiz is over.
> 
> I saw a picture of this one almost 30 years ago. First time I have seen a flower in person. My friend has 2. He sibbed it.



Far from an expert, just a lucky guess, John! I recently saw it listed in Ecuagenera list, so I happened to search info about it, and it looked similar. People say that it is pretty tough one to grow. It's unlikely, but is it Kyle's by any chance? Link to his post a couple years ago:
https://www.orchidsforum.com/threads/masdevallia-caudivolvula.1494/


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## theorchidzone (Sep 2, 2016)

This is grown by John Leathers in Pacifica. Well known for Masdevallias and Draculas. I believe he won an FCC for a black Dracula quite recently. John has a lot of very rare Masdevallias, and he says this one is touchy.

When a hobbyist, I purchased one from Ecuagenera. Essentially instant death, even though SF where I live is cool...in temperature.

As I mentioned we did sib it. Often for difficult species the selection process of propagation through flask and growing out in "our" conditions makes plants that are better adapted for us. besseae is a good example of this.

So we hope that they will be available. 

As the comments reflect, this one is whimsical and wacky. I was happy to see it in person.

JC


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## abax (Sep 2, 2016)

Triffid should be in the name somewhere. It looks menacing just a bit.


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## naoki (Sep 3, 2016)

Thanks for the info, John. I just checked Masdevallias: Gems of the Orchid World by Gerritsen & Parsons, and indeed the photo of this species was the plant of John Leathers! I hope your flasking will work well! I'm also trying to get seeds of Telipogon species toward a similar goal, but they don't seem to take self-fertilization (I tried 4 times)....


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## theorchidzone (Sep 3, 2016)

Telipogons. You are ambitious/glutton for punishment. 
But joking aside, that is great! 
Keep trying. As you probably know, some plants have evolved self sterility so a sib cross is obligatory.
JC


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## TyroneGenade (Sep 4, 2016)

If bred for more substance it might find utility in opening three wine bottles simultaneously. 

Thanks for sharing the photo. It is strong encouragement to flee dry-winter/infernal-summer Iowa for a more temperate and humid climate.


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