Hybridizing with Phalaenopsis Species
by Bill Livingston
Phal lueddemanniana v. pallens
|
This species has been overlooked in hybridizing, and I am one of those at fault, because after getting an award on P. pallens 'Yellowjacket' HCC/ AOS, I did not breed with it. I had so many nice large plants to hybridize with, and at that time I favored the larger flowers over the smaller ones. A few nice things have come from grexes using P. pallens var. denticulata, but there were no show stoppers among them. I have seen three varieties of this species, with var. denticultlta being the most predominant clone cultivated in the U.S., and the one most often used in hybridizing. Its color varies from a very light lemon-yellow, greenish yellow to a corn yellow, and the sepals and petals are marked with brown to reddish brown or cinnamon with short, thin transverse lines and dashes. The lip is white with orange-yellow to yellow calli on the lateral lobes. When crossed with large whites a soft greenish color appears, but in most cases it will turn to white in time. In general, progeny do not have good shape, but I feel that with the proper parent for shape the off- spring could hold the green color without fading.
|
|
This article which has been reprinted here with permission, originally appeared in the Volume 66, Number 4 edition of Orchid Digest, (Oct-Dec 2002), which is a Special Edition that highlights Phalaenopsis, and also features an excellent article on Phal culture by the Tuskes. The Phalaenopsis Special Edition of Orchid Digest can be ordered from Orchid Digest for $22. Highly recommended.
This article, all of its sections and accompanying photographs
are copyright 2002 by Orchid Digest Corporation.
Note: This site uses Javascript Navigation Controls;
if you have Javascript disabled on your Browser,
you will need to use the Site Map to navigate this site.
|
