myxodex
Well-Known Member
When this young plant, bought as "ceramensis" begun opening it's first flower I was astonished by just how red both the pouch and the petals were. By the third day (next pic) the pouch was already greening-up and the petals had lost the initial intensity of red colour.
This is reminiscent of a plant posted by Olaf previously. http://www.slippertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10698&highlight=amabile
At 10 days the petals were pale purple, magenta or pink depending on light source.
This flower lasted about 10 weeks and faded a bit more but not nearly as much as in the first week.
For comparison here is my amabile, which also fades from a deep pink (although not as deep as the ceramensis) in the first week after opening.
The two plants together.
I can't help but think these,despite the differences, are the same species. Here are the staminodes photographed in bright sunlight.
Both are pubescent, both have a central ventral tooth which is blood red when seen in bright light and covered by a transparent layer which looks as though it might be some sort of exudate (could also be cellular ... I don't have a microscope). I wonder what others think but I'm coming to think that both these are cerveranum. In the UK at international shows, I've seen what I feel is the same species, displayed and sold by a number of vendors (or local societies) as appletonianum or cerveranum (when the petals are narrow), but otherwise as bullenianum, amabile, robinsonii, celebesense and ceramensis when the petals are broader. I bought a plant as celebesense which is similar to the above two and is no way a genuine celebesense. By way of contrast here is an old pic of my tortipetalum.
I have no problem seeing this plant as allied to the bullenianum concept, but the first two above ... hmmm ?
Cheers,
Tim
This is reminiscent of a plant posted by Olaf previously. http://www.slippertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10698&highlight=amabile
At 10 days the petals were pale purple, magenta or pink depending on light source.
This flower lasted about 10 weeks and faded a bit more but not nearly as much as in the first week.
For comparison here is my amabile, which also fades from a deep pink (although not as deep as the ceramensis) in the first week after opening.
The two plants together.
I can't help but think these,despite the differences, are the same species. Here are the staminodes photographed in bright sunlight.
Both are pubescent, both have a central ventral tooth which is blood red when seen in bright light and covered by a transparent layer which looks as though it might be some sort of exudate (could also be cellular ... I don't have a microscope). I wonder what others think but I'm coming to think that both these are cerveranum. In the UK at international shows, I've seen what I feel is the same species, displayed and sold by a number of vendors (or local societies) as appletonianum or cerveranum (when the petals are narrow), but otherwise as bullenianum, amabile, robinsonii, celebesense and ceramensis when the petals are broader. I bought a plant as celebesense which is similar to the above two and is no way a genuine celebesense. By way of contrast here is an old pic of my tortipetalum.
I have no problem seeing this plant as allied to the bullenianum concept, but the first two above ... hmmm ?
Cheers,
Tim