parliamo di Bulbophyllum con l'esperto, amico e collega Giulio Farinelli www.orchidandoshop.it

At the ORTICOLA exhibition in Milan, Edmondo interviewed his friend and colleague Giulio Farinelli of Roccastrada (GR) www.orchidandoshop.it, who has a notable collection of Bulbophyllums and is an expert on the genus. Many Bulbophyllums have an unpleasant odor, and some stink terribly. I remember the great Marcel Lecoufle, who died in 2016 at the age of 103, when a customer interested in a beautiful Bulbophyllum said to him, "But it stinks!" He replied, "Well then... no one's perfect!" And the lady bought the Bulbophyllum. The Vacherot et Lecoufle Bulbophyllum catalog read, "Many stink, but the beauty of the flowers makes you forget this flaw." GREAT LECOUFLE! I initially met Giulio Farinelli online through his forum, ORCHIDANDO, probably the most visited and appreciated by orchid enthusiasts at the time (Facebook didn't exist yet). Then, with the arrival of his children, Andrea and Sofia, he had less and less time to dedicate to the forum because he had to dedicate it to his children. I met him in person when he came to visit me in his Ford Fiesta in 1996 and he was a young boy (he had already come to me four years earlier, but I wasn't there). Giulio is one of the most knowledgeable people in the orchid field I know and is among the most beloved by orchid enthusiasts, also for his seriousness, honesty, and modesty. from the book ORCHIDS, STORIES & CHARACTERS 4th edition, 572 pages, €25, available from www.orchideria.it or Amazon: Bulbophyllum. The genus with the largest number of species, over 2,000, found mainly in Asia and Australia, with a few in Africa and tropical America. Due to its wide geographic distribution and large number of species, the genus is highly variable: the plants can be very small—the Australian Bulbophyllum minutissimum is 1 cm tall—or very large—the pendulous leaves of the New Guinea Bulbophyllum fletcherianum can exceed 150 cm in length and 18 cm in width. The flowers also vary greatly in number. Shapes and sizes. The flowers can be single, in clusters, or arranged sequentially along the inflorescence. In many species, the flowers are arranged in a radial, umbrella-like pattern; this group has been transferred to the genus Cirrhopetalum. Due to its great variability, it is likely that in the future, the Bulbophyllum genus will be divided into many genera that group together species with similar characteristics. One of the peculiarities of Bulbophyllum is its mobile labellum. There are many scented orchids, but most Bulbophyllums smell because they rely on insects for pollination, attracted by their foul odors. The tiny, beautiful flowers of Bulbophyllum beccarii smell so strongly of rotting flesh that it is unapproachable. Website: www.orchideria.it Facebook:   / orchideemedicinaperanima   #orchideriadimorosolo #orchids Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/orchideria_...