Black Orchid (not)

Black Orchid (not) September 2005 | Filed under Flora, Photos, Travel | Comments (9)

One of many crazy flowers spotted at Brief, the garden of Bevis Bawa in Bentota (do you think he was purposefully alliterative?)

Update: I've just received word that this is not, in fact, an orchid (which was unfortunately the closest word in my limited botanical vocabulary to describe it with) - it's a Tacca, also known as a 'bat flower' (cute). My correspondant also informs me that "the long hairs coming off the flower are a dead giveaway. No orchid has anything like that. Also, unless orchids are dyed, their leaves are always green. Unless they aren't. OK, so there is a variety of orchid that exclusively derives its fod from fungus on dead material. And another has enough chlorophyll in the stems that the leaves are miniscule scales." So there you go.

Views from the Floor

karen cartwright says:

Hi do you know the name of this orchid at all. Its so beautiful!!!

Vanessa Hughes says:

Actually some orchids have the stringy petals. Check out bulbophyllum medusae, although you are right this is not an orchid, but easy to se where the confusion comes from.

Melissa Clancy says:

You said : "OK, so there is a variety of orchid that exclusively derives its food from fungus on dead material."

I can't seem to find this orchid. Do you recall the name of it? Thanks bunches. Namaste

lolita says:

The name of that flower is the Black Bat :)

Haloma Roos says:

I most definitely want one? where can I buy it in South Africa?

Dana Hylton says:

There actually IS an orchid that has long "hairs" so the person that told you that it's a dead giveaway is wrong check out the Cirrhopetalum Medusae sp Orchid

Christina says:

Hello people!!!!!!!!!!!
I like this flower.
don't you like it
it is just so cool
i am going to Belize just to see
one personally
wooooooooow!!!!!!!!!!
This is COOL!!!!!!!!!!!

Christina says:

Hello people!!!!!!!!!!!
I like this flower.
don't you like it
it is just so cool
i am going to Belize just to see
one personally
wooooooooow!!!!!!!!!!
This is COOL!!!!!!!!!!!

Christina says:

Hello people!!!!!!!!!!!
I like this flower.
don't you like it
it is just so cool
i am going to Belize just to see
one personally
wooooooooow!!!!!!!!!!
This is COOL!!!!!!!!!!!

Speak, friend, and enter


Edit Entry

Can haz house now?

15 July 2009
Filed under Text

Soph and I have been attempting to buy a house for many hundreds of months now; every time we think it’s all done and dusted, a new requirement surfaces. For posterity, here’s the latest email thread between the solicitor and me (anonymised, obviously):

Solicitor: It appears the mortgagee requires the insurance policy to be for a minimum of a three month period from settlement and yours is renewable on 29 August. Can you please arrange for the policy to be extended and another Certificate of Currency to be provided.

Me: They can’t do it. They would require me to cancel my existing policy, institute a whole NEW policy, and go through the hours upon hours of crap that goes with that. I will get a renewal for the current policy in the next couple of weeks, and once that happens they’ll give me the new certificate of currency - but they claim they absolutely can’t extend the existing policy.

Solicitor: Sorry Virginia. I just spoke to the mgee’s sols asking if 3 month requirement can be waived, and they said no. “It is an [redacted] requirement”. You will have to cancel existing policy and do fresh one, and then ask for a Certificate of Currency.

[Some time passes, during which I may or may not have a tantrum on the phone to the insurance company representative, during which I may or may not use the words “retarded” and “fucking”]

Me: There are few things that make me want to go on a machine gun rampage more than talking to insurance companies. Nevertheless, I attach the hard-won certificate of currency. Hooray! I can haz house now?

Solicitor: That was easier than expected. Well done. Will email it directly to the mortgagee’s sols. Settlement soon!

Me: Easier than expected from your end. Poor old [redacted] in the [redacted] office might have had a nervous few moments wondering if I was REALLY going to come after his family.

Anyway, surely that’s the end of it. The solicitor must think I’m completely barmy (she doesn’t strike me as the type to be familiar with LOLspeak), but I can live with that. In my new house.

Categories