Fragrant Phrag. Grande

[e-spice]

This is Phrag. Grande growing in a 4.5-inch pot. A friend gave it to me for doing a program at the East TN Orchid Society. I like the nice dark color of the flowers. It seems relatively small for a Grande too - another plus. It will have six flowers this year.

The odd thing about this one is it smells - really bad. I'm not talking about having to stick your nose in the pouch and think you might smell something bad. It's detectable from five or six feet away. It smelled up the car going to the show this weekend. The best description is that it smells like a dirty, wet towel that has been laying around for a week. I think this odd smell just adds to the allure of this one. It smelled the same way last year too.

The dark color of the pouch makes wonder if it was made with warscewiczianum instead of regular caudatum, which would make this Phrag. Wössner Supergrande. Anyone else have any thoughts on this?

e-spice

 

[Heather]

It's a great looking plant!
I'm not sure about the fragrance, but my Mountain Maid always smelled like sicky sweet urine, and no one would believe me until a member of my society brought one in, and I smelled it, and pointed out that it smelled like urine too. Yick. Just because neither parent is fragrant, doesn't mean your hybrid won't be!

 

[smartie2000]

I heard they smelled of socks...

The caudatum species I saw and got to sniff did not smell of anything. Anyways I'll know when my phrag popowii sends a spike...I have a feeling it will soon

Are you saying the species doesn't stink, but when crossed with longifolium the smell like crap?

 

[smartie2000]

The compact nature and that each spike has two blooms, and the dark colour does make me want to agree that it is a Phrag. Wössner Supergrande.

BTW I think it looks great!

 

[toddybear]

Fantastic specimen!

Heather, I just ordered Mountain Maid...no one told me I'd have to enjoy it from a distance! :wink:

 

[NYEric]

During the orchid/info tours I gave at the GNYOS show, I noticed some people had much less developed sense of smell and some fragrances I detected many could not. Anything goes to get pollinated!

 

[SlipperFan]

I don't know about the smell, but this sure is a beautiful Grande!

 

[Marco]

great plant Eric!

 

[practicallyostensible]

The color of your pouch is very similar to my popowii (ie warscewiczianum), where as my grande has a more amber color. I just posted some pictures of the popowii. Great plant by the way!

 

[phrag guy]

very nice,I would also think it was made with warscewiczianum ,beening so dark.

 

[Gilda]

Stinky or not I still want a small division Geff !!! It's a beauty !!:drool:

 

[Ernie]

I have a Grande, also likely Wossner Supergrande due to color and fairly compact growth habit, that opened recently. Smells like cat box. It wasn't terrilby noticeable at first. I pulled it from the grow room, snapped some pix then put it back. Next time we open the door, phewwwww.

-Ernie

 

[NYEric]

That's so it can attract and eat your cats.

 

[Drorchid]

Yep, you have a Phrag. Wossner Supergrande (made with popowii instead of caudatum).

By the way; great looking plant!!

Robert