Dear Pablo,
Phragmipedium besseae normally does have transluscent windows in the
tissue between veins in the pouch. This phenomena is noted in the original
description of the species. The windows in the pouch of the besseae imaged
on the link below are more pronounced than is typical, but there is nothing
particularly abnormal about them. I would consider this to be a normal
besseae. Plants used in breeding in the USA tended to have less pronouned
windows, so we don't often see examples as extreme as the one imaged. I
would say the imaged plant is a normal, but less attractive than most,
example of the species. The windows function to let light into the pouch,
to trick the insect pollinator into entering the pouch, thus temporarily
trapping the insect and forcing the pollination of the flower when the
insect finds the exit path out by going up past the column.
Cordially yours
Leo
<snip> From: Pablo Bermudez <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: [OGD] Phragmipedium bessae
Has anybody seen P. bessae with a lip with a high degree of
transparent tissue in the lip like this one? I have seen that in the
flavum forma but not on regular red and oranges... is it normal?
http://www.peruorchids.com/galeria/p/phragmipedium/Phragmipedium-besseae1.ht
m
Pablo Bermudez
Lima, Peru <snip>
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