Facts from Chuck Acker
I have been watching and reading the forums quietly since the revelation made by Chuck Acker that some of the plants labeled as kovachii from his Peruflora flasks are not true kovachii species. As a long time customer and now good friend of his I feel it is time to share some of my first hand knowledge of this subject from my many months of personal communications with him. This may get lengthy but I would like to point out a few things in response to certain postings.
I remember reading last summer many, many posts from someone who continued to hammer on the fact that Chuck Acker and Jerry Fischer could not sell their kovachii for two years because of an agreement that Peruflora had engaged them into. Well, good thing for that agreement and for the integrity of the two men that signed it because in a few short days that agreement expires. If it wasn't for Chuck's expertise in raising Phrags and his ability to discern that there was a problem, these misrepresented plants would be put out to market under the name of Phrag. kovachii. I commend Chuck and Jerry for abiding by the two year agreement not only because of this outcome but because it was an agreement they entered into and stuck with in spite of the flak they took because of it.
Back to Chuck's expertise in raising Phrags. It was early last summer when I first heard his statements of suspicion about one of his kovachii crosses from Peruflora. He painstakingly examined these plants for months, comparing them with the other kovachii crosses he was growing, not only from Peruflora but also from the Alfredo Manrique/Glen Decker stock. He noticed that indeed this one particular kovachii cross from Peruflora was growing very differently from the other kovachii flasks he obtained from those two legal sources. It was early October that I heard him bring up the subject of getting this suspicious cross DNA tested, which I thought was highly resourceful and most likely the best way to investigate what these plants truly were. Not only did he suspect there was a problem and come up with a solution, but he also did the legwork to find an accredited lab which was capable of running the test. He sent in the samples, paid the money and got the answers he was expecting.
Thanks to Chuck, many future buyers of these plants were spared the distress and agony that he has gone through in the deciphering of what these plants truly are. My sympathy goes out to him because I know how much effort, money, consideration, time and himself he has put into obtaining and raising these plants for us to eventually own with pride in our collections. His ethics in all aspects of this issue are truly commendable.
For those of you who have taken the time to read this I say Thank You. And from my most recent conversation with Chuck I know that he is extremely appreciative of the positive support he has received from his customers in response to publicly and honestly bringing this circumstance to light in the orchid community.