Paph. Jack Tonkin 'Val's Choice' AM/AOS

Justin · Dec 30, 2013

A great clone. The plant is vigorous and has an awesome white flower. There is just a touch of a rose blush. I love it!

Erythrone · Dec 30, 2013

A wonderful white...

Bob in Albany N.Y. · Dec 30, 2013

Nice one. Nice photo as well. I usually end up with a reflexion.

Justin · Dec 30, 2013

Thanks Bob. I'm a terrible photographer but trying to get better while still using my cell phone lol.

eaborne · Dec 30, 2013

Excellent flower indeed!

Migrant13 · Dec 30, 2013

A great white for sure. Looks so waxy.

JeanLux · Dec 31, 2013

Wow :clap: !!!! Jean

Trithor · Dec 31, 2013

I wish that were mine! Great substance, form and colour (or rather lack of)

Wendy · Dec 31, 2013

One I wouldn't mind having in our front window. Lovely white!

tim · Dec 31, 2013

A cross of McLaren Park 'San Mateo' AM/AOS and F.C. Puddle 'Superbum', this grex was made and registered by Rod McClellan's for their valued customer W. Jack Tonkin in 1966. Tonkin was just getting started breeding plants himself at the time, and was noted by the short-lived journal The Paphiopedilum World was having a keen eye for picking winners in bud, for example the numerous awarded clones of Tommie Hanes, all purchased in bud by Tonkin at McClellans then awarded. Tonkin himself made few crosses, but some were of very high quality, including Snowbird (Jack Tonkin x Diversion), Snowbird x Hellas, and Halo x Brownglen (posthumously named Memoria Jack Tonkin). The award record for the Jack Tonkin grex is weird: two clones, 'Robin' and 'Val' both purport to have HCC/AOS but there is no AOS or ODC award record for either of them, and 'Val's Choice' has an AM in 1966. Interestingly, the AM was received in Oklahoma City, a notorious judging center at the time for West Coast growers to ship flowers to get a slightly higher award...Nonetheless it is beautiful and fertile, at least three generations out; while its form may be surpassed by more recent whites, its fertility is excellent.