Pleurothallis dilemma

[Tom-19951]

Intermediate to cool, very slow growing species. The growths/leaves look like green-beans to some.

The close-up is an old photo. To see a great close-up photo, please visit our Thomas's thread.

[san]

It's the most strange orchid I have ever seen. Thanks for shring!

[pavel]

Neat flower and foliage! I wonder what the "dilemma" was in naming it?

[Jose R. Nieves]

The name sure fits. Great pic.
Jose

[Tom-19951]

Neat flower and foliage! I wonder what the "dilemma" was in naming it?

Not the typical meaning from your english dictionary. It is Greek... it has something to do with the two horns on the leaf(I think).

[walingwaling]

I'm simply blown away, one of your best, Tom!!!

[mauraec]

Not the typical meaning from your english dictionary. It is Greek... it has something to do with the two horns on the leaf(I think).

"Pleurothallis" is from the Greek "pleurothallos", meaning rib-like (pleuro - think "pleurisy", for instance) branches (thallos). The Greek Genus name is then followed by a Latin term for the particular species. In this case, however, the word "dilemma", which is both Latin AND Greek, means "double proposition" and generally connotes a poor outcome should either proposition be chosen. It is the logician's challenge, somewhat encapsulating the myth of Scylla (a dreaded monster, or a treacherous rock) and Charybdis (a treacherous whirlpool), in which the unfortunate adventurer must navigate, literally, "between a rock and a hard place." See Edith Hamilton's Mythology for both Roman and Greek versions of the same myth. It is also a famous analogy in the legal world, for all of us lawyers who are frustrated English professors. - And the point is... it's not really an appropriate term for describing a plant, even if it does have two "horns".

But I digress - a very strange and wonderful plant and bloom, Tom.

[mazlani]

So lovely!! Both the plant and pics.

[Brutal_Dreamer]

Love the 'bean' shape of this plants growth. Cute bloom too!

cheers,
BD

[cxcanh]

A very strange plant to me.