Paph King Charles 'The King'

[slippertalker]

Thanks, but I was looking for the species that make up Hellas. Looks like that might be difficult.

Most of the complex hybrids consist of insigne, spicerianum and villlosum. Other species are mixed in but not to the extent of these building blocks. If you look at the percentage of species in most of these hybrids, they are around 40-50% insigne, 10-20% spicerianum, about 10% villosum and/or boxallii, then a smattering of various other species. Hellas and Winston Churchill are the two most prolific breeders in the cool growing complex hybrids with almost 300 and 600 progeny respectively.

 

[Drorchid]

Thanks, but I was looking for the species that make up Hellas. Looks like that might be difficult.

According to Wildcat:

insigne: 37.5%
spicerianum: 16.41%
villosum: 7.03%
boxalii: 6.25%
fairrieanum: 6.25%
druryii: 1.56%
unknown: 25%

Robert

 

[paphioland]

The interesting thing about true complex hybrids (not a novelty like this king charles) is that even though we know the species in the backround. Each has very little to do with what the crosses look like today. The breeder's influence has more importance (In my opinion this is why complexes are the most breeder testing genera). There are so many generations and so much selective pressure it is hard most of the time to tell what is in the backround. If another breeder goes back and makes Pacific Shamrock it may look totally different. Or if the same breeder goes in two different directions they can make the same hybrid but the different lines can look TOTALLY different.

In the case of this king charles there is 75% charlesworthii so that is going to absolutely dominate the other very small percentage of other species.

 

[tim]

At the same time I'm sure Terry selected a Wawona Maiden that looked like a charlesworthii versus one that looked more complex...I bet if someone made the same King Charles cross with a different Wawona Maiden you might almost get Woodrose-looking things.

I totally agree that the outcome of most non-primaries is determined far more by the goals of the hybridizer than the parents of the cross. Just look at really old things like Lathamianum or even Nitens - the selected and awarded ones were red, not yellow or brown. These early primary selections began the pathway that led to red complexes...

 

[paphioland]

At the same time I'm sure Terry selected a Wawona Maiden that looked like a charlesworthii versus one that looked more complex...I bet if someone made the same King Charles cross with a different Wawona Maiden you might almost get Woodrose-looking things.

I totally agree that the outcome of most non-primaries is determined far more by the goals of the hybridizer than the parents of the cross. Just look at really old things like Lathamianum or even Nitens - the selected and awarded ones were red, not yellow or brown. These early primary selections began the pathway that led to red complexes...

True

 

[toddybear]

Stunning!