An orchid aphrodisiac....flies only

I was intrique by the fragrance of Bulbophyllum patens. Sometimes, it smells like cherry, sometimes it has a spicy smell. I am not exactly sure if the smell changes with the age of the flower. In a genus known for smelly bloom, this virtue is rare.

The fragrant flower attracts the male melon fly (Bactrocera sp)to pollinate it - which is not unusual. The interesting part is, according to literature, the fly actually consumes and stores this spicy chemical, zingerone [4-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-2-butanone], and use it as a sex hormone to attract the female.

The spicy smell comes from zingerone and most likely the fruity smell is that of rasberry ketone, which is very similar in structure and is more potent for the fly. I wonder if the change in smell of the bloom would trigger any changes in the fly's pollination inclination ....

Ref: J. of Chemical Ecology, V 26, 2, p533 , February 2000

Passe

A passe photo - but that's how I remember it.

Conopus Lake was frozen and snow flakes started falling down to blanket the sedges along the bank. Trees and all types of vegetation that were alive appeared dead and their cast-off dried-up shells threw dark contours in the white landscape. Winter scenes like this are commonplace around this region, but always impress people with camera. Which perhaps explain why this photo is so passe.

Frozen

One more project remains frozen for now due to uncertain economic outlook. Time to hibernate....

Water droplets quick-frozen on the cone-like fruits of a birch (Betula sp). Bits of ice were floating on the Hudson River. Hudson Highland Park.

Brrrr....

Mistaken identity

For more than a century, Phalenopsis bellina was believed to be a form of Phalenopsis violacea from Borneo until Eric Christenson's monograph in 1995 distinguished it from its impersonator by virtue of bigger ovoidal leaves, pigmental chemistry and totally different fragrance. In fact, analysis of the chemical content of the fragrance shows consistently different constituents. Its not easy to describe the smell - I would say violacea smells like a very expensive and heavy bodied perfume while bellina is more like a light feminine deodorant....