# Phragmipedium besseae var. flavum



## smartie2000 (Jan 3, 2009)

A first boom. This besseae flavum has a background of 'Wings of Gold' x self, which I bought from J.P. Faust this spring. Another sibbling was also in spike but it blasted. But that is ok, they are small plants. I am only letting this one make one bloom I think. Not as difficult to grow as I heard they were, maybe breeding made them easier.

This one is a pale clone even though its spike developed slowly on a cold winter windowsill. My camera doesn't photograph the colour right (takes the bloom nearly white!) so I had to adjust the blue spectrum in the photos to correct to a more accurate yellow


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## Elena (Jan 3, 2009)

Oooh, I really these anyway but that one is gorgeous.


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## P-chan (Jan 3, 2009)

I love the windows on the besseae pouches...They're just so cool. Now here they are in another color. Awesome!


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## Yoyo_Jo (Jan 3, 2009)

Oh, that's a beauty Fren! Congrats. I like the clonal (right?) name you gave it


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## shakkai (Jan 3, 2009)

She is a beauty, Fren!


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## Candace (Jan 3, 2009)

I need one. Thanks for posting.


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## SlipperFan (Jan 3, 2009)

That's nice, Fren. Very symmetrical and wide petals.


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## Jorch (Jan 3, 2009)

Very nice! I hope mine blooms as wonderful as yours


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## TADD (Jan 3, 2009)

Wow pretty cool form!


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## Phrag-Plus (Jan 3, 2009)

Very nice Fren! I really like that one too...
They are very easy grower...


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## Ron-NY (Jan 3, 2009)

it's very nice Fren! I am still trying to bloom mine! Congrats!


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## JeanLux (Jan 4, 2009)

I like this beauty a lot!!!! Jean


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## kentuckiense (Jan 4, 2009)

Good work, Fren. Do you find successful culture of this form to be any different than that of standard besseae?


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## smartie2000 (Jan 4, 2009)

Thanks guys 



kentuckiense said:


> Good work, Fren. Do you find successful culture of this form to be any different than that of standard besseae?



Nope, I haven't found any difference yet. At least there isn't a difference with this parentage.

I think the bloom is smaller than the usual besseae, but perhaps it is because my plant is young?


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## goldenrose (Jan 5, 2009)

Light, dark or inbetween - I'll take it! :clap: :clap:


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## NYEric (Jan 5, 2009)

Yay besseae!


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## toddybear (Jan 6, 2009)

I'm jealous! I have one that is 3 years old and multi-growth but has never bloomed.


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## SlipperKing (Jan 8, 2009)

I don't know how I missed this beautiful photo of a beautiful flower!


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## biothanasis (Jan 8, 2009)

Fantastic!!!!!


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## smartie2000 (Jun 9, 2010)

*2010 blooming*

I am updating with this years blooming. I think that besseae var. flavum is easier to grow than my other red besseae plants and it has doubled in size (two new growths and 1 old growth). I believe that it may multiply again next year because I see 3 new leads. It also does not climb.

This year the colour is much brighter, it was too pale last time. Also the pouch and petals are slightly rounder, but more perky. I have two spikes too. Nothing changed culturally except that I repotted all my besseae into a clay pot recently to help keep the root systems cool.

Something that needs to be done in breeding is to increase the size of flavum besseae blooms. I don't think the flower size compares to the red ones.










I promised a friend a division...now I need to decide of I should divide it later this year or wait until the following year. (I may get a dalessandroi in return!)


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## smartie2000 (Jun 9, 2010)

crap! the flower just dropped off when I picked up the plant this second. I was hoping to bring it to the orchid society meeting this Sunday!!!! maybe the next bud will open on time.
I usually put all my dropped phrag blooms in water. The flower can be kept decoratively for another week that way


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## parvi_17 (Jun 9, 2010)

I love these flavums, even if they aren't as big or as round as the regular forms.


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## John Boy (Jun 9, 2010)

Says who???

I'm a bit confused by that!  *flavums are smaller than the red/orange flowered ones?* I can't quite agree with that, I always had a feeling they were slightly bigger than my normal ones. I've got to keep an eye on that next time...

If they'd be smaller for real...would anyone have used them for breeding?  
Mybe it's got to do with my preference of the flavum besseae's over the normal ones...but I'd have sworn my yellows are bigger....


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## NYEric (Jun 9, 2010)

I think the flavums are smaller than the huge line bred reds like "Pucker", etc. Fren, I wouldn't divide it until it got bigger and v. Dalassendroi is not really that different from standard besseae that you want to harm a blooming flavum by shrinking it. IMHO.


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## John Boy (Jun 9, 2010)

could it be possible that you guys are talking about 4N or 6N besseae?


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## NYEric (Jun 9, 2010)

John, most of what sells as besseae in North America is line bred like typical OZ stuff. I try to collect besseae from different sources just to have a variety of different, less than perfect shaped, plants. Unfortunately, i've killed a couple that might have been considered historic.


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## Jorch (Jun 9, 2010)

smartie2000 said:


> I usually put all my dropped phrag blooms in water. The flower can be kept decoratively for another week that way



Hey, great idea!


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## KyushuCalanthe (Jun 9, 2010)

Splendid Fren, really a beaut! :clap:


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## Shiva (Jun 9, 2010)

Lovely one Fren and I like the clonal name too.


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## SlipperFan (Jun 9, 2010)

smartie2000 said:


> I promised a friend a division...now I need to decide of I should divide it later this year or wait until the following year. (I may get a dalessandroi in return!)



Wait! It doesn't look big enough to divide yet.


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## Phrag-Plus (Jun 11, 2010)

smartie2000 said:


> Thanks guys
> 
> 
> 
> ...



It's probably because it's a small plant, but variation may occur too... My mother plant is huge, larger foliage than the regular besseae and the flowers are quite the same size.


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## GuRu (Jun 11, 2010)

Very delicate flower, Fren but the plant seems not big and strong enough for dividing!! If I were you I wouldn't do this!!


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