Paph. Virgo

[EDDIE]

Hello everyone

Recently I received a paph virgo; it is rather small but is in bloom. The bloom is white with red spots and the foliage is mottled. I have tried to search this particular orchid on the net without any success. Does anyoned know if this has been renamed??

[kinknstein]

I see a hybrid Paph with the name Virgo on the RHS Orchid Hybrid website. Says it is a cross between Paph godefroyae and Paph Psyche. Paph Psyche is a cross between bellatulum and niveum.
http://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/registe...ls.asp?ID=8685

[Roy]

Its a very old cross that hasn't been remade to my knowledge in recent years. A websearch found a few examples for me. Try this website, there is only one pictured but gives you an idea of what they are like but ususlly they are similar to most other Brachys.

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[Bolero]

They don't generally rename them and the cross still exists as stated above. It's a nice one so hold on to it.

[RosieC]

Originally Posted by Roy

Its a very old cross that hasn't been remade to my knowledge in recent years.

I've heard this sort of thing said before and I'm interested by what is meant by 'not remade'.

Does this mean that all the ones that exist are clones of the first cross?

In the past I thought that a hybrid plants would be routinely created from the original parents as a major way or propogating them, but that is just an assumption on my part.

[Roy]

[quote=RosieC;241509]I've heard this sort of thing said before and I'm interested by what is meant by 'not remade'.
Does this mean that all the ones that exist are clones of the first cross?
In the past I thought that a hybrid plants would be routinely created from the original parents as a major way or propogating them, but that is just an assumption on my part.[/QUOTE

The term, Not remade, refers to a situation where a cross was made maybe decades ago or in recent times and that those 2 parents together may have produced few, if any good flowers so hybridist can't see any point in producing more of the line of breeding. ie, P. Virgo wasn't known for quality flowers so no more P. Virgo being bred. Recent remakes of those earlier crosses by some nurseries were done using much better quality parents with some unsuccessful crosses being remade to see if the quality has been improved. In many cases it had but in some, not to the extent that it was a viable proposition to continue because the improvement wasn't there. Basically, any cross has to be exceptional to continue producing it and its better in many cases to breed on from that cross producing new hybrids. The plant refered to in the post is more than likely from a cross made within the last decade, plants from the original cross/es would be long dead.
I hope this explains it.

[RosieC]

Thanks Roy, I think I understand.

So as I thought, hybrids may be propergated by continually going back to the parents.

But for it to be 're-made' it needs to have been something which has not been propergated for a long time (because it was not considered good enough originally).

So if Eddie has one of these P. Virgo it must be one crossed more recently but possibly whoever made it has not continued to make it.

[Roy]

Basically thats correct. Many crosses are remade but rarely with the original parents as improved parents ( particularly with species & primary hybrids) thus continuing that plant name and there are hundreds of examples about.
The cross doesn't have to be old to not be a remake as some new hybrids are producing great flowers and are in great demand thus as a commercial decision hybridists keep it going. If its a failure, only the brave or stupid would do it again.
Eddies plant could be from a "one off" remake.

[RosieC]

Thanks again Roy,

My Paph is one which apparently was originally hybridized for use in the cut flower industry (it's a complex bulldog type).

The nursery which mine came from say on their website that "Since 1993 we make a crossing line especially cultivated for pot culture. We pay attention to strength of growth and possible room cultivation and reflowering."

So I am assuming they have effectively re-made the cross but using parent specimines more suited to 'pot culture'.

[Roy]

Rosie, interesting comment they put "pot culture", where else does one grow a Paph ?????
There idea is correct, I have bought & bred paphs along similar lines. It usually means they have use plants that grow & flower very easily with little regard for shape. The are more for the "cut flower" market. In many cases they are closely related to species paphs like villosum, insigne or one or two hybrids away from them.