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A Different Look at Dracula Names Steve Manning (photos by Steve Manning) Steve Manning (photo by Henry Oakeley) Dracula vampira 248 • OSGBJ 2010 (59), No. 4 The genus Dracula, of the sub-tribe Pleurothallidinae, was created in 1978 by Dr Carlyl Luer by extracting certain species - with hairy flowers, minute warty petals and curious lips - from the genus Masdevallia. Dr Luer tells us that the name dracula refers to the ‘little dragon’ appearance of the flowers, and their love of shady and humid forests. I think few people would argue that it is perhaps the most aptly named genus in orchidology. The name also has strong connotations with vampires, and Luer published the first description of D. vampira at the same time as he raised the Dracula genus – another inspired naming. Even before 1978, the taxonomists had been having fun with the names of various species: In 1872, Reichenbach thought the flower of Masdevallia chimaera (later renamed Dracula chimaera) so weird and strange that he named it after the most weird and strange beast he could think of – the Chimaera from Greek mythology, a firebreathing female with the body of a male lion with a tail that was a serpent’s head and the head of a goat arising from her back at the center of her spine. Chimaera was a most unfortunate creature as her dad was Typhon, a monster with 100 serpent-heads - all with fiery eyes, and her mum was Echidna who was half woman, half serpent (I wonder what they saw in each other?). In mythology, Bellerophon, one of the Greek heroes, mounted Pegasus and slew the Chimaera, but although we do have a Dracula bellerophon, it comes nowhere near the wonder of the D. chimaera flower and certainly does not outclass it.
Dracula chimaera A Different Look at Dracula Names Dracula bellerophon Dracula psyche OSGBJ 2010 (59), No. 4 • 249
Page 1 and 2: Orchid Society of Great Britain Jou
Page 3 and 4: Editor’s notes My apologies to th
Page 5 and 6: all provided by the SBG - imported
Page 8 and 9: Letter from the President the month
Page 10 and 11: Cattleyas - a pictorial guide to id
Page 12 and 13: Cattleyas Cattleya aclandiae w Lind
Page 14 and 15: Cattleyas Cattleya crispata w (Thun
Page 16 and 17: Cattleyas Cattleya intermedia w Gra
Page 18 and 19: Cattleyas Cattleya lueddemanniana ,
Page 20 and 21: Cattleyas Cattleya mossiae Cattleya
Page 22 and 23: Cattleyas 242 • OSGBJ 2010 (59),
Page 24 and 25: Cattleyas Cattleya schroederae ‘T
Page 26 and 27: Cattleyas Cattleya walkeriana w Gar
Page 30 and 31: A Different Look at Dracula Names D
Page 36 and 37: Stanhopea tigrina var. aurea Brian
Page 38 and 39: Book Review Discovering New World O
Page 40 and 41: What’s in a name? Sam Hurley writ
Page 42 and 43: Northern Cyprus Holiday: March 2010
Page 44 and 45: OSGB Display at the Peterborough In
Page 46 and 47: Schomburgkia (now Myrmecophila) Spe
Page 48 and 49: Programme Secretary’s Report Iona
Page 51 and 52: Collection® until his untimely pas
Page 53 and 54: experience. Perhaps we may be seein
Page 55 and 56: Napier Hall Meetings Jeanette Beane
Page 57 and 58: Napier Hall Meetings Mike Penney’
Page 59 and 60: flowers open fully in a burst of br
Page 62 and 63: Photographic and Art Competition (D
Page 64 and 65: The Royal Horticultural Society Orc
Page 72 and 73: Advertisements Add a Touch of Elega
Page 74 and 75: Advertisements 294 • OSGBJ 2010 (
Page 76 and 77: Advertisements 296 • OSGBJ 2010 (
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Index to Volume 59 No.1, pp1-84; No
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Index to Volume 59 Dendrobium timor
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Services to members The Journal - p
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