anyone have a foul smelling orchid?
 

I have heard that there are many different types of foul smelling orchids,
one of which smells like rotten meat. does anyone have one, and are they
unwelcome additions to the inside of a home?

anyone have a foul smelling orchid?
 

"nightwriter" wrote in message ble.rogers.com...
I have heard that there are many different types of foul smelling orchids,
one of which smells like rotten meat.

There are indeed a wide variety of foul smelling orchids, many of
which smell like rotten meat. The genus bulbophyllum is a rich source
of icky odors. Bulbophyllum phalaenopsis smells like ripe roadkill.
B. cupreum smells like rotting salmon. IIRC, B. graveolens smells
like warm dog poop. Many cirrhopetalum-types (e.g. B.
rothschildianum) smell like old mushrooms.

In general, the smelly orchids are fly pollinated. Look for flowers
with hairy excrescences and colors in the rotting meat/fungus range of
purples, reds, and browns.

Other orchids smell pleasant in small doses but are nasty when
concentrated. Oncidium ornithorhynchum and O. Sharry Baby make me ill
if I'm shut up in a car or small room with them for too long.

does anyone have one, and are they
unwelcome additions to the inside of a home?

Depends on the strength of the odor and the sensitivity of the
orchidists spouse or room-mates. The shroomy smell of cirrhopetalums
isn't really a problem. Others may require a greenhouse or
clothespins on your nose.

Among my non-orchids, Stapelia gigantea (dog poop) is banished from
the house when it blooms. Amorphophallus konjac (overheated roadkill)
goes all the way to the bottom of the garden.

Nick

--
myrmecodia-at-yahoo-dot-com

anyone have a foul smelling orchid?
 

lol

thanks for the reply. i have a bulbophyllum but it has no odour, luckily.
i never knew about the dog poop one. this species is bloody brilliant.




"Myrmecodia" wrote in message
om...
"nightwriter" wrote in message
ble.rogers.com...
I have heard that there are many different types of foul smelling
orchids,
one of which smells like rotten meat.

There are indeed a wide variety of foul smelling orchids, many of
which smell like rotten meat. The genus bulbophyllum is a rich source
of icky odors. Bulbophyllum phalaenopsis smells like ripe roadkill.
B. cupreum smells like rotting salmon. IIRC, B. graveolens smells
like warm dog poop. Many cirrhopetalum-types (e.g. B.
rothschildianum) smell like old mushrooms.

In general, the smelly orchids are fly pollinated. Look for flowers
with hairy excrescences and colors in the rotting meat/fungus range of
purples, reds, and browns.

Other orchids smell pleasant in small doses but are nasty when
concentrated. Oncidium ornithorhynchum and O. Sharry Baby make me ill
if I'm shut up in a car or small room with them for too long.

does anyone have one, and are they
unwelcome additions to the inside of a home?

Depends on the strength of the odor and the sensitivity of the
orchidists spouse or room-mates. The shroomy smell of cirrhopetalums
isn't really a problem. Others may require a greenhouse or
clothespins on your nose.

Among my non-orchids, Stapelia gigantea (dog poop) is banished from
the house when it blooms. Amorphophallus konjac (overheated roadkill)
goes all the way to the bottom of the garden.

Nick

--
myrmecodia-at-yahoo-dot-com

anyone have a foul smelling orchid?
 

Over the years I have had several species of Cirrhopetalum nearly ALL of
which smelled like something rotting. One in particular smells like
something rotting on the seashore. I can smell it immediately when entering
my 12 x 16 greenhouse. I doubt my family would appreciate it as much as I
if it were grown indoors!

David

"nightwriter" wrote in message
le.rogers.com...
I have heard that there are many different types of foul smelling orchids,
one of which smells like rotten meat. does anyone have one, and are they
unwelcome additions to the inside of a home?

anyone have a foul smelling orchid?
 

If you want to get really adventurous you can get a plant
that doesn't even have to bloom to smell bad. Dressleria
eburnea. I heard it smelled like dirty socks, but that is
being really kind. If you have to do any fiddling with it, the
whole grow space can smell for hours.

Crystal

--
http://home.comcast.net/~xtals/orchid.htm
"nightwriter" wrote in message
le.rogers.com...
I have heard that there are many different types of foul smelling orchids,
one of which smells like rotten meat. does anyone have one, and are they
unwelcome additions to the inside of a home?

anyone have a foul smelling orchid?
 

"femalestrom" wrote in message
news:hDzUa.134373$GL4.35112@rwcrnsc53...
If you want to get really adventurous you can get a plant
that doesn't even have to bloom to smell bad. Dressleria
eburnea. I heard it smelled like dirty socks, but that is
being really kind. If you have to do any fiddling with it, the
whole grow space can smell for hours.

ummmm... lol... i'll pass. i have started sniffing the ones i purchase so
as not to get caught off guard. it's quite terrifying as my nose approaches
the flower and i'm preparing for the worst. :)




Crystal

--
http://home.comcast.net/~xtals/orchid.htm
"nightwriter" wrote in message
le.rogers.com...
I have heard that there are many different types of foul smelling
orchids,
one of which smells like rotten meat. does anyone have one, and are
they
unwelcome additions to the inside of a home?

anyone have a foul smelling orchid?
 

When the ancient war dogs did battle on Sat, 26 Jul 2003 04:06:51 GMT,
"nightwriter" did speak the following bit of
wisdom:

I have heard that there are many different types of foul smelling orchids,
one of which smells like rotten meat. does anyone have one, and are they
unwelcome additions to the inside of a home?

I don't have a stinky orchid. But I do have a small Stapelia which,
when it blooms, we either pick the flowers off, or put it all the way
in the back of the yard. It stinks of rotten meat, but that isn't the
part that bothers me having it close to the house. What *really*
bothers me is the way the flowers attract flies! I don't want that
thing anywhere near the back door with all those critters on it... ;)

* * * * *
Karen C.
Southern CT / USDA Zone 6
Spammers be damned! I can't be emailed from this account...

"Gardeners know all the best dirt!"

anyone have a foul smelling orchid?
 

When the ancient war dogs did battle on 26 Jul 2003 05:36:50 -0700,
(Myrmecodia) did speak the following bit of
wisdom:

Other orchids smell pleasant in small doses but are nasty when
concentrated. Oncidium ornithorhynchum and O. Sharry Baby make me ill
if I'm shut up in a car or small room with them for too long.

On the subject of flowers that smell so sweet they are sickening... We
have a rather large jasmine tree that my husband calls the "dog poop
plant." When it blooms, it produces a huge flush of little white
flowers with fragrance so strong, that it really does remind one of
dog poop. So sickly sweet, it absolutely stinks! ;)

To make this orchid related, I agree with you on some of the
Oncidiums. Some of them are so strong, they give me a horrible
headache even when I'm *not* shut in a small room with them. I
remember one show I went to where I was swooning and had to
continually go outside for fresh air! Powerful stuff!

* * * * *
Karen C.
Southern CT / USDA Zone 6
Spammers be damned! I can't be emailed from this account...

"Gardeners know all the best dirt!"

anyone have a foul smelling orchid?
 

Rank and nauseous orchids listed in The Compleat Botanica
(www.crescentbloom.com)

Bulbophyllum becharii
Bulbophyllum fletcherianum
Bulbophyllum virescens
Gastrodia cunninghamii
Habenaria unalascensis
Masdevallia gargantua
Orchis coriophora
Orchis hircina
Orchis pyramidalis

There are another 170 non-orchids listed in the software that fall
into either the "rank" or "nauseous" category. The relative strengths
of the smell are listed as faint, mild, strong, or overpowering.

The database also contains a list of the sweet smelling orchids with
descriptions and common names. See "Perfumers still rely on
traditional plants for base notes"
(http://www.crescentbloom.com/X/E/B/116.htm) for more.

Erica Gardener

anyone have a foul smelling orchid?
 

Rank and nauseous orchids listed in The Compleat Botanica
(www.crescentbloom.com)

Bulbophyllum becharii
Bulbophyllum fletcherianum
Bulbophyllum virescens
Gastrodia cunninghamii
Habenaria unalascensis
Masdevallia gargantua
Orchis coriophora
Orchis hircina
Orchis pyramidalis

There are another 170 non-orchids listed in the software that fall
into either the "rank" or "nauseous" category. The relative strengths
of the smell are listed as faint, mild, strong, or overpowering.

The database also contains a list of the sweet smelling orchids with
descriptions and common names. See "Perfumers still rely on
traditional plants for base notes"
(http://www.crescentbloom.com/X/E/B/116.htm) for more.

Erica Gardener

anyone have a foul smelling orchid?
 

You can add a Bulbophyllum makoyanum to that list. Though not a strong
scent, it sure makes you cringe when you smell it!

--
Mariana
For more information: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MiniO




"Erica Gardener" wrote in message
om...
Rank and nauseous orchids listed in The Compleat Botanica
(www.crescentbloom.com)

Bulbophyllum becharii
Bulbophyllum fletcherianum
Bulbophyllum virescens
Gastrodia cunninghamii
Habenaria unalascensis
Masdevallia gargantua
Orchis coriophora
Orchis hircina
Orchis pyramidalis

There are another 170 non-orchids listed in the software that fall
into either the "rank" or "nauseous" category. The relative strengths
of the smell are listed as faint, mild, strong, or overpowering.

The database also contains a list of the sweet smelling orchids with
descriptions and common names. See "Perfumers still rely on
traditional plants for base notes"
(http://www.crescentbloom.com/X/E/B/116.htm) for more.

Erica Gardener

anyone have a foul smelling orchid?
 

When the ancient war dogs did battle on Sat, 26 Jul 2003 04:06:51 GMT,
"nightwriter" did speak the following bit of
wisdom:

I have heard that there are many different types of foul smelling orchids,
one of which smells like rotten meat. does anyone have one, and are they
unwelcome additions to the inside of a home?

I don't have a stinky orchid. But I do have a small Stapelia which,
when it blooms, we either pick the flowers off, or put it all the way
in the back of the yard. It stinks of rotten meat, but that isn't the
part that bothers me having it close to the house. What *really*
bothers me is the way the flowers attract flies! I don't want that
thing anywhere near the back door with all those critters on it... ;)

* * * * *
Karen C.
Southern CT / USDA Zone 6
Spammers be damned! I can't be emailed from this account...

"Gardeners know all the best dirt!"

anyone have a foul smelling orchid?
 

When the ancient war dogs did battle on 26 Jul 2003 05:36:50 -0700,
(Myrmecodia) did speak the following bit of
wisdom:

Other orchids smell pleasant in small doses but are nasty when
concentrated. Oncidium ornithorhynchum and O. Sharry Baby make me ill
if I'm shut up in a car or small room with them for too long.

On the subject of flowers that smell so sweet they are sickening... We
have a rather large jasmine tree that my husband calls the "dog poop
plant." When it blooms, it produces a huge flush of little white
flowers with fragrance so strong, that it really does remind one of
dog poop. So sickly sweet, it absolutely stinks! ;)

To make this orchid related, I agree with you on some of the
Oncidiums. Some of them are so strong, they give me a horrible
headache even when I'm *not* shut in a small room with them. I
remember one show I went to where I was swooning and had to
continually go outside for fresh air! Powerful stuff!

* * * * *
Karen C.
Southern CT / USDA Zone 6
Spammers be damned! I can't be emailed from this account...

"Gardeners know all the best dirt!"