"Q:Does it hurt to touch the flowers?... A: Occasionally, the petals and sepals of the buds get caught in themselves and require manual intervention to open correctly. Other times, the flowers get twisted on a stem, perhaps stuck against a leaf or flower sheath. And there is always the possibility of dirt or foreign objects needing to be removed so the blooms are not unsightly.
The biggest danger to touching orchid flowers is the inherent risk of bruising, which leaves telltale brown marks - particularly noticeable on pastel pinks, yellows, and whites. The petals are easy to crack or crush resulting in brown lines in just a few minutes. Fingers often have trace amounts of dirt and oil which rub off. And the entire flower or bud can snap. Some genera are more durable than others. Dendrobiums and Oncidiums are the toughest and are routinely shipped long distances in boxes with just newspaper wrapped around the stems. Great care must be taken with fragile Cattleyas and Phalaenopsis, however, so that not even one flower rubs against another. Individual buds are covered in shredded wax paper or cotton. Lady slipper pouches must be protected. The "trained hand" can perform intricate maneuvers without damage but, for the most part, the general rule "look but don't touch" applies [in particular if the orchid belongs to another orchidophile /smile...]." URL : http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/entertainment.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2008-03-01-0009.html ************ Regards, VB _______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [email protected] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
