Paph. Snowbird was registered in 1976 by noted Californian paph breeder Jack Tonkin, and is a cross between Diversion 'New Orleans' HCC/AOS and Paph. Jack Tonkin 'Val's Choice' AM/AOS, according to the label on one of the unawarded clones I have. Its parents are important in their own rights; Paph. Diversion 'New Orleans', a combination of Paph. Alpha and Paph. Aussie was made in England by Black and Flory, and awarded by the AOS and the ODC in the mid 1950s. It is the immediate parent of nearly 100 grexes, and a parent or grandparent of more than 50 awarded complex paphs. Its vibrant colors are still important today; as an example, Paph. Lippewunder has Diversion as a great-grandparent (through Bit-O-Sunshine).
Paph. Jack Tonkin is a cross of F.C. Puddle and McLaren Park 'San Mateo' AM/AOS, and the line of plants stemming from Paph. Jack Tonkin is important as a demonstration of fertility in white complex paphs. Paph. Jack Tonkin was used to breed a number of good whites; Snowbird as well bred a number of good whites and pinks, including Snow Glory (x Hellas), which received an AQ in 2006.
I know of four extant, named good clones of Snowbird, including the pictured 'Robin' AM/AOS (1978), 'Val' AM/AOS (1975; before the grex was registered), the diminutive 'Opalescence' AM/AOS (1980), and an un-awarded but even smaller plant, with a perfect little miniature flower called 'Littlest Gem'. All of these are from Jack Tonkin's original crossing. The variety 'Althea' AM/AOS, which to my knowledge is not around anymore, has exceptional form for whites of this timeframe. The varieties of sizes of Snowbird plants is interesting, and begs further attention in terms of breeding smaller plants. All four are among the fastest-growing paphs I have, and are all well worth growing even now, in this age of whites with much better form. They seem to have been lost in their time - whites and pinks like Via Ojai, also from the late 1970s, seem to have been more frequently grown, but Via Ojai breeds very reluctantly. Since they are fertile, further crosses of Snowbird with Hellas-derived flowers of better form may continue to yield small, but attractive, easily grown whites.
Paph. Jack Tonkin is a cross of F.C. Puddle and McLaren Park 'San Mateo' AM/AOS, and the line of plants stemming from Paph. Jack Tonkin is important as a demonstration of fertility in white complex paphs. Paph. Jack Tonkin was used to breed a number of good whites; Snowbird as well bred a number of good whites and pinks, including Snow Glory (x Hellas), which received an AQ in 2006.
I know of four extant, named good clones of Snowbird, including the pictured 'Robin' AM/AOS (1978), 'Val' AM/AOS (1975; before the grex was registered), the diminutive 'Opalescence' AM/AOS (1980), and an un-awarded but even smaller plant, with a perfect little miniature flower called 'Littlest Gem'. All of these are from Jack Tonkin's original crossing. The variety 'Althea' AM/AOS, which to my knowledge is not around anymore, has exceptional form for whites of this timeframe. The varieties of sizes of Snowbird plants is interesting, and begs further attention in terms of breeding smaller plants. All four are among the fastest-growing paphs I have, and are all well worth growing even now, in this age of whites with much better form. They seem to have been lost in their time - whites and pinks like Via Ojai, also from the late 1970s, seem to have been more frequently grown, but Via Ojai breeds very reluctantly. Since they are fertile, further crosses of Snowbird with Hellas-derived flowers of better form may continue to yield small, but attractive, easily grown whites.
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