Phragmipedium Red Lightning

**pavel** · March 18th, 2012, 08:11 PM

Quite attractive. Nice shots too, Maura.

**opaline** · March 18th, 2012, 10:44 PM

A true natural showstopper and born to show off. You know what they say "if youve got it......". Pride of place at any exhibition. The orchid is gorgeous aswell. what a cracker!. First image if it gets in the hands of a photoshopper or image edit, a generous cropping and the image would certainly join the weird and wonderful club of some bulbos. Macabre and strangely beautiful in colours and surface pattern. The trademark lip though certainly holds on to its identity with a firm grip. We have a few local isolated and protected Cyprediums? -spell?!colonies under local conservation guard and the last 4 years has had a very suprising noticable increase in ophrys -bee orchids. The theory in light of this has not opened a can of worms in foolishly advertising location for poachers but an anomynous friend of the earth undisclosed to woodland/ hikers and conservation groups and even orchid societies. I always feel nervous in close proximity to them with money ofcourse as a root of all evil. Blood shed by shotgun is outweighed by the 1000s in money for a cascading cypridium colony. But this is nothing new! The best bit is for once the existence of peoples ignorances and naivity which works in orchids future and favour..............cant touch what they dont know. Finishing on a humourous note after being WOW!ed by a glimpse of rarity, I cant help but giggle at the sight of a rather flourishing illegal plant with jagged finger leaves originating from poorly filtered and screened hemp seed/captive bird seed. Of the two which will be the first to disappear.?