Whoa. So we're going strictly on the visuals? Is it cheating to post pics?

The Masdevallia ignea wins with me, hands down:

{{gwi:201689}}
http://www.orchidspecies.com/masdignea.htm

Oncidium ornithorhynchum:

{{gwi:201690}}
http://www.orchidspecies.com/oncornithorrhynchum.htm

WhiteCat8

Can post them if you want but I was thinking of encouraging a little research :). Without the research they wouldn't know that orny has a vaguely chocolate smell and is one of the main species behind Sharry Baby.

Or could just include a feature description.

Gotta be honest with the pic though! You posted the aurea form, most only ever see the more attractive pink form :). or we could just choose only a single variety, I.e. Pink ignea vs yellow orny. Thogh I feel that might be a little constricting.

This post was edited by terpguy on Sun, Nov 24, 13 at 7:04

Masd ignea hands down. It can be spectacular. The other one is nice too but I have to keep the gardeners with their weed whacker away.

Nick

Ditto on the ignea. Had veitchana but killed it in spectacular form.

I would choose masdevallia ignea but it probably wouldn't do well in my zone 10.I love oncidiums and onc ornithorhynchum is beautigul in pink but smells like rotten eggs.I read where it's in the genetic makeup of Sharry Baby.That's interesting since it smells a little like rotten eggs.

Allymarie

Lol clearly I didn't make this hard enough!

Allymarie, I've heard different people experience the fragrance differently. But it's not the only species behind SB.

Maybe say no pics so we're not responding strictly to visuals. Instead, people can describe characteristics - appearance, fragrance, long-lasting flowers or not, how many times a year it blooms in favorable conditions, if it quickly gets too large for your space, if it's deciduous. Sort of like going to a desert island. Was that more what you had in mind? It's cool you said cultural conditions don't count. WC8

This post was edited by whitecat8 on Sun, Nov 24, 13 at 22:15