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Pleurothallis (Acronia) forceps-cancri

This is the Holy Grail of blooms for me. A photo of this flower is what sparked my interest in pleurothallids. It is, without doubt, my favorite orchid flower.

 

The etymology for this plant is very interesting. The Latin word "forceps" means "claw or pincer". While the Latin word "cancri" means "cancer", it also means "crab", which is also the symbol for the zodiac sign "Cancer". The plant's common name, obviously, is the "Crab Claw Orchid". Thankfully, it isn't known as the "Cancer Orchid". :-)

 

This plant came from Tropical Orchid Farm in Maui, Hawaii. Although the plant comes from a cool environment, Colombia (2000m), it seems to adapt readily to intermediate temps. It reportedly grows very well in Hawaii.

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Uploaded on March 29, 2013
Taken on March 29, 2013