ASOPOMO Sixteen

BB and DD take note: a Brazilian native orchid for the Rio balcony! AND it wouldn't care if you were there if it got rain.

Cattleya forbesii is a common species in the bifoliate (it has two leaves at the end of each pseudobulb)group. It grows profusely in the swamps in Rio de Janeiro State. There it can be found either on shrubby coastal forest at the beaches (very salt tolerant) or on the wooded slopes inside the city of Rio. Although not a very colorful species, mine has a delicate fragrance similar to Lily-of-the-Valley. However, it is quite easy to find to buy and very easy to grow under warm to intermediate conditions (North and mid-Florida is ideal). Flowers average about 4" across. Colors vary from green to light pinkish tan. Though smaller in stature, this Cattleya can grow into a massive ball.

During its flowering season, its fragrance attracts extraterrestrials seeking corsages for their interplanetary dates for the Prom. Saucer sightings in Rio spike at this time. It is believed that the early inhabitants of the area began Rio Carnival as a welcoming ritual for the space aliens and helped them collect the orchid flowers. In return the aliens left them body paint, sequins and feathers and taught them to dance naked in the streets (typical of foreigners to teach the natives to practice rituals they wouldn't do themselves - because of their repressive morals and religious taboos - but wish they could) on top of their levitating spaceships. Today "floats" (please note that "float" is another term for levitation) only mimic the form of the space ships, but the decoration and nudity continue. Nudity also explains the significance of the shape of the forbesii lip in tribal fertility ceremonies leading some randy taxonomists to suggest that the latin name be changed to Cattleya viagriana.

ASOPOMO - A Series Of Photographs Of My Orchids (sometimes with wild, fictional stories added to see if my subscribers are paying attention.)