K
Kevin
Guest
Judges -and so do breeders also- prefer big, round and flat Paphiopedilum flowers. A lot of amateurs are following them. I do not, not always.
I like the reflecting dorsal of P. spicerianum very much! I also like wavily petals!
So I ask myself, why there are no complex Paphs bred of species as appletonianum, spicerianum, villosum, tigrinum, gratrixianum, ... with tubular dorsals?
IMO Paphs are not only made to photograph their front side, but to look at them as a three dimensional artwork.
As long as flatnes is a goal in breeding, some will do strange things as seen here in this thrad. Those flat "spicerianums" are not my favorites.
____variatio delectat__________,__fibre_____
I agree completely! I have a Paph. Lathmanianum that was scoffed at by one judge, because it had a reflexed dorsal. I was thinking - it's supposed to have a reflexed dorsal! But, again, flat is what's 'in'. Is the point of a hybrid to show the best characteristics of both parents? How many of the typical spicerianums with reflexed dorsals have been awared? Probably none. Even though it is a perfect example of the species, not an 'improvement'. But, people like trying to 'improve' on nature all the time. Impossible, as far as I'm concerned. Try putting some of the newest line-bred Phrag. besseaes into the wild. Would they survive? The were created they way they are for a reason.
By the way, the Paphs that got the AQ here are amazing, and very eye-catching, but if they are real spicerianums, they don't represent the species very well. What is considered in judging? Who's idea is it to award higher points to larger, bigger and flatter? Is this the goal, even if if the end result does not even look like the species any more? Not everyone has the same idea of 'improvement'. This, then gets into judging and personal bias. What might be 'in' today might not be 'in' tomorrow.