Cattleya (Laelia) tenebrosa 'Seven Samurai' HCC/AOS

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Jmoney

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This is a selected division from 'Rainforest' x 'Cinnamon'; I have had this plant for a couple years but was surprised to see a whopping 7 flowers this time. Awarded HCC 79 last weekend. A few of its sibs were awarded in 2015 or so.
 

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From my point of view as a judge, the 7 flowers are a great accomplishment! No doubt about it. So when Ozpaph suggests better arrangement may have meant more points, that is likely true. As they present on the inflorescence they seem crowded. That is a negative.
Look at the lips, wonderful color certainly helps! That color is very good. But look at the lip openings, they are not consistent. A couple seem nice and round but several others seem crunched, pinched if you will, from different points.
But from where I sit, it is a very nice flower. Look at it in terms of one spike, 7 flowers, versus two spikes, 3 and 4 flowers. Better presentation might let us appreciate each individual flower. But clean up those lip rims and get fewer flowers and a solid AM of 83-85 seems easily within reach.
Please keep in mind that if it is comparable size wise with recent AM’s, it could be a point or two higher.
An FCC is NOT out of the question at this point.
And another bright spot is a 79 point award. It is so much easier to go from 79 to 80 then going from 76 to 80!
Congratulations!!! Jmoney, that is a STUD!
👍🥰
 
lovely colour.
I suppose if the flowers were better presented it might have scored higher.
yeah, I was a bit disappointed that they couldn't bring it to an AM. I'm not a judge but I'm not unfamiliar with these Brazilian catts formerly known as laelias and I made the long drive to judging thinking solid AM. The recent awarded tenebrosas all have 3, maybe 4 flowers tops. I didn't think presentation was that bad, of course it's crowded with 7, but the flowers are all expanded properly, and not 'squished' on each other.

big923, I see your point on the lips, they do seem a bit inconsistently "inflated" if that makes any sense. Seen head on, however, they are pretty broad but not perfectly round.

I was talking to Art Chadwick (it was great to meet him in person, he brought a bunch of plants for judging along with an amazing Sanders catalog from 100 years ago), and he commented it might be hard to upgrade. Is it even possible to get 8 flowers on tenebrosa? And if you get fewer flowers, they would present much better and likely be larger, but then you're going down on floriferousness. I also measured 16.0 cm NS (17.0 if you push the petals back a bit to flatten), but the official measurer got 14.5. So that maybe didn't help. I was happy with the "bouquet" effect though. Almost looks like a giant bifoliate head of flowers from across the room.
 
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Natural spread is natural spread. You can not flatten the flowers. All other segments can be gently flattened or pressed against a ruler in order to get a more accurate measurement.
 
Congrats on award and floriferrousness!

A bit crowded but that’s to be expected for so many flowers in one (rare). Due to many flowers the size is much reduced (FCC’s are almost 18-20 cm). An upgrade to AM is likely if flowers bigger (even with 3-5 flowers) and less crowded.

What is current size?
 
Thanks Dr Leslie, I thought the flowers opened "ok" despite the crowded conditions - no segments were impeded from fully opening. I got NS 16cm on largest flower, 4.0 cm petal width - no manipulation, no exaggeration. I believe the official measurement was 14.5, 3.6. I honestly do not think any single flower was that small, but of course rulers and tape measures are notoriously variable...

And for that matter scales too...just look at any guy holding up a fish and scratch your heads at the length and weight claim...(of the fish...or of the guy too I guess)

Just made 'Pololei Wine' x 'Seven Samurai'. if anyone wants pollen let me know, there's a bunch left!
 

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