Paph. Clair de Lune 'Edgard van Belle' AM/AOS, FCC/RHS

[NEslipper]

Division of the original plant from Orchids Limited. This particular individual is from the original grex registered by Sanders in 1927. Cross is Paph. Emerald x Paph. Alma Gavaert. In my opinion, not bad for a 96 year-old plant! I don't grow a lot of maudiae, but I grow a few historical clones for the novelty. This plant has received two AMs from the AOS, the first in 1940 to Ernest Blaney Dane, and the second in 1967 to Clint McDade. Those active in the cattleya sub-threads on this forum will recognize those names as two of the most important names in alba cattleya breeding in the U.S. The flagship cross from the Dane's estate was C. Joyce Hannington and McDade is probably most famous for commercializing C. Bow Bells. I like to think these plants are all united again, growing on my windowsill! The photos of Edgard van Belle don't really do it justice, the flower is absolutely enormous, I have never seen it in person before and I was honestly shocked at how big the flower is. The dorsal is nearly 8cm across without unfurling it and pressing it against the ruler. It also presents beautifully on a tall, straight stem above the incredible mottled foliage. It's a gorgeous plant even out of bloom - I would definitely recommend it. Sorry about the background, but I found the black background distorted the color and made it more yellow than green.


With a 30cm ruler for scale






With a blackground, and a slightly oversaturated color:

 

[Ozpaph]

still a good flower after 100 years

 

[monocotman]

Love it!

 

[SlipperKing]

A tough plant to survive 100 years.

 

[Justin]

Excellent plant. I grew a piece for several years. Think I got it here on the forum actually. Had great, big flowers just like this. Sadly mine eventually died.

 

[Murray F]

Excellent clone

 

[Guldal]

Trés beau!

 

[NEslipper]

Excellent plant. I grew a piece for several years. Think I got it here on the forum actually. Had great, big flowers just like this. Sadly mine eventually died.

Oh no, did anything in particular happen that led to its demise? I hope you can get another piece, it’s such a pretty plant, even out of bloom!

 

[Justin]

Oh no, did anything in particular happen that led to its demise? I hope you can get another piece, it’s such a pretty plant, even out of bloom!

No I just neglected it and it went downhill over time. I would definitely grow it again.

 

[GuRu]

Simply wonderful !

 

[ErinH]

It is just beautiful!

 

[spujr]

Love this and the history! I actually like the black background, it makes the flower glow

 

[terryros]

Out of my handful of Paphs that I have kept, I also needed one of these historically important plants and chose the original Paph Maudiae ‘Bankhaus(ouse)/The Queen’. It is almost identical in appearance to yours. Mine is about two weeks away from blooming. The shape and the white/green is very appealing in these. I agree that the leaves are attractive.

 

[NEslipper]

Out of my handful of Paphs that I have kept, I also needed one of these historically important plants and chose the original Paph Maudiae ‘Bankhaus(ouse)/The Queen’. It is almost identical in appearance to yours. Mine is about two weeks away from blooming. The shape and the white/green is very appealing in these. I agree that the leaves are attractive.

I recently picked up a Bankhaus as well, but I haven’t flowered it yet. Please post yours when it opens! I’m hoping one day they’ll both decide to bloom at the same time so I can do a side-by-side comparison.

 

[spujr]

Out of my handful of Paphs that I have kept, I also needed one of these historically important plants and chose the original Paph Maudiae ‘Bankhaus(ouse)/The Queen’. It is almost identical in appearance to yours. Mine is about two weeks away from blooming. The shape and the white/green is very appealing in these. I agree that the leaves are attractive.

I remember The Queen! It's triploid and sterile, right?

 

[richgarrison]

awesome article plant and flower... i typically breeze quickly past these... but the content in your post was awesome to read and caused some more poking... thank goodness orchid wiz still works as a very simple one stop shop for info...

Interestingly enough, it appears as though there was an upgraded AM (88 pts) awarded to your clone in 1993. the orchidpro software has a photo and measurements.. the other awards you mentioned are indicated, but there aren't photos or any other information

Krull smith had an awarded clone, but not nearly as nice a dorsal presentation. and

David Rosenfeld (an exhibiter i know) had an awarded clone at my judging center in 1987 again the picture doesn't show as well as 'Edgard van Belle'

i didn't make it to judging today (covid attack #n)... so this was my student judging education for the day... thanx!

 

[DrLeslieEe]

Classic beauty. Parent of many of the large green Maudiae types today I’m sure.

 

[terryros]

I will post a picture of my Maudiae 'Bankhouse' when it blooms. I suspect that it was first RHS awarded in Europe as 'Bankhaus' before coming to the USA where the translation was made to 'Bankhouse', but I can't access RHS awards. 'Bankhouse' and Clair de Lune 'Edgard van Belle were both first AOS awarded in 1940. The inner knowledge that led some master growers from the middle of the last century to suspect that Maudiae 'The Queen' was the same cultivar as 'Bankhouse' is probably lost in the mists of time. Both 'Bankhouse' and 'The Queen' are thought to be polyploid and are said not to breed, or to be poor breeders. I haven't seen this about 'Edgard van Belle'.