Paphiopedilum delenatii albescent?!

[DrLeslieEe]

Today we awarded a new color variation of delenatii … white (faintly striated blush pink) with a normal colored staminode. I’ve never seen one before.



It got HCC 78 points from AOS.

The label was for a vinicolor!

I’m curious what others think?

 

[DrLeslieEe]

Here’s the award description:

 

[Ozpaph]

its a very pretty colour form.
If it was pink would it have been awarded?

 

[monocotman]

I have to ask, do you think it the pure species?
Maybe it’s just me and goodness knows, I’m no paph expert but my first impression of the outline of the bloom said hybrid.

 

[big923cattleya]

I have never seen one before that I can remember.
Overall it features two flowers, they both have different issues. I don’t know how I would have scored it.
One flower has a twisted or misaligned petal. It’s dorsal is not as nice as the one on the first flower. That first flower also has a slight form issue due to nudging to the left of the pouch. Perhaps they are minor points but you have to have been there to see how every one else felt.
Coloring is unusual for sure, very attractive, but I can’t say for certain under this format whether I would have awarded it.sometimes you just have to be there.

 

[DrLeslieEe]

its a very pretty colour form.
If it was pink would it have been awarded?

If it was pink, I don’t think so. The new color form was attractive and needed to be put into the award system. Form was not bad and just ok.

 

[DrLeslieEe]

I have to ask, do you think it the pure species?
Maybe it’s just me and goodness knows, I’m no paph expert but my first impression of the outline of the bloom said hybrid.

At first we thought so too. But we did full research on all possible hybrids to rule this out and then examine the staminode carefully. All pointed to delenatii.

Even after this, I consulted with several Paph experts and delenatii growers, and without exception, all agreed it was delenatii based on staminode and leaf structure/pattern (some even said that they have seen this color variation before long ago).

So I’m relieved that it was almost beyond a reasonable doubt that it can pass the eyes of the most Paph experts.

I will consult with a few more Paph experts as well and report back.

 

[DrLeslieEe]

I have never seen one before that I can remember.
Overall it features two flowers, they both have different issues. I don’t know how I would have scored it.
One flower has a twisted or misaligned petal. It’s dorsal is not as nice as the one on the first flower. That first flower also has a slight form issue due to nudging to the left of the pouch. Perhaps they are minor points but you have to have been there to see how every one else felt.
Coloring is unusual for sure, very attractive, but I can’t say for certain under this format whether I would have awarded it.sometimes you just have to be there.

Yes there was definitely form problems with the first flower. That can happen with crowding. We judged the second flower primarily.
Thus it was an HCC lol.

 

[SelectOrchids]

I remember now... Ratcliffe Orchids had a similar plant about 30 years ago, that was from the selfings of selfings of the now extinct 'old delenatii'.

Asked an expert on delenatii, but they saw that a couple of times already, not on seed grown plants. It is very rare however.

 

[DrLeslieEe]

I remember now... Ratcliffe Orchids had a similar plant about 30 years ago, that was from the selfings of selfings of the now extinct 'old delenatii'.

Asked an expert on delenatii, but they saw that a couple of times already, not on seed grown plants. It is very rare however.

Today it’s like a unicorn lol.

 

[mSummers]

That’s a very cool color form. Thanks for sharing it with us!

 

[DrLeslieEe]

So I got confirmation from Olaf, Braem, Koopowitz and Xavier that this is indeed a rare color form of delenatii! Wow!

 

[SelectOrchids]

I suspect that when they appeared, either wild ones or in the original delenatii progeny, they were weeded out, as people expect more a delenatii to have a pink pouch, or to be a real albino in those days...

 

[richgarrison]

definitely like the color form….

Any reason the team didn’t consider a JC? To get it into the system?

 

[big923cattleya]

A JC for a new color form I am assuming? Well that is a possibility however, since the one flower was awardable as evidenced by the HCC, perhaps a CHM would be more appropriate rather then a JC?
CHM’s for different or new color forms happen once in a while. If it was my plant, I would prefer a CHM over a JC any day.

 

[DrLeslieEe]

A JC is given for two reasons:

1. If a new trait or color form wants to be acknowledged and/or
2. If a flower doesn’t quality for a quality award but the judges wanted to commend it for that said trait (ie new color form on a bad flower).

Because in this case, the second flower is in good enough form for a quality award, it was pointed for quality, and noted in award why it was noted for (ie the albescent color, never recorded before).

A flower quality award is much preferred and more prestigious than either a JC or a CHM.

 

[big923cattleya]

What about a CHM and an HCC at the same time?

 

[DrLeslieEe]

What about a CHM and an HCC at the same time?

Could be, but the description is the same and we make the exhibitor pay for both awards, which might make them upset lol.

Also a CHM is given usually to a new-ish plant that was never or rarely seen to encourage others to grow.

 

[big923cattleya]

It does happen.

 

[Ernesto]

I saw a similar flower while visiting Floradise Orchids and before I could get too excited Steve told me it was due to how warm the greenhouse got that year. While his words applied to his plant, I wonder how this awarded plant would flower under warmer and cooler conditions. It’s lovely!