Neo names as used in Japan and Korea are not the same as names given to western orchid clones. This is because rather than the more limited definition used by orchid societies in the west, Neo varieties in practice follow the more inclusive definition of horticultural cultivars as outlined by the
The International Code of Nomenclature of Cultivated Plants:
International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants - Wikipedia
Here is a copy of the 8th Edition:
http://www.actahort.org/chronica/pdf/sh_10.pdf
In particular: A cultivar is an assemblage of plants that (a) has been selected for a particular character or combination of characters, (b) is distinct, uniform and stable in these characters, and (c)
when propagated by appropriate means, retains those characters.
According to this code, a selfed or sibbed seed grown plant is just as appropriate to be considered part of the same cultivar as divisions and mericlones, as long as the offspring in question have retained the specific (and usually limited) range of characteristics that define the cultivar.
This code is actually what the majority of the horticultural world follows when they name plants and cultivars.
The way orchid growers say that individuals that make up a cultivar must be divisions or clones is actually more of an exception rather than the rule. In the western orchid world, the precise genotype is generally considered the defining characteristic of an orchid cultivar, but that is not the same in all other horticultural circles.
What matters in all cases is the range of characteristics that have been defined by the cultivar name. That range of characteristics could be pretty much anything worth propagating for: genotype, color, variegation, unusual vegetative habits, sugar content, essential oil content, headspace volatile content, starch content, growth speed, or any combination thereof. As long as the combination of characteristics is propagable by any means, it can constitute the defining characteristics of a cultivar.
That said, while the current Japanese and Korean naming convention of Neos is not perfectly in line with this code, it is more or less the same in its basics.
Because of this, it is indeed true that Neo vendors sell selfed or sibbed seed grown plants with the same name as the parent, and quite a few varieties are more commonly propagated by seed than by division.
Many western orchid growers balk at this idea, but it needs to be understood that the world of traditional Japanese horticulture (Koten-engei), including the horticulture of Neos, has never attempted to follow the rules and customs of western orchid growing. The customs, traditions and practices of Neo horticulture have evolved entirely separately from that of western orchid horticulture and it is misguided and narrow-minded to try and conflate the conventions of Japanese and Korean Neo variety names with the conventions of clonal cultivar names as defined by the western orchid societies.
In the western orchid world, there is a perceived need and widespread desire to limit cultivars to genetic clones, and it is arguably a legitimate need. That need, however, does not apply to the entire horticultural world though. In the world of annual plants and its cultivars, it is pretty much impossible or at least extraordinarily impractical to define a cultivar by its exact genotype. In some parts of the world of food agriculture, it's pointless and uneconomical to insist that cultivars be defined by the same genotype as long as the plants in the cultivar carry the same desirable characteristics. In a similar way, the current mainstream conventions of the Neo world do not require plants within a cultivar to be genetically identical as long as the required characteristics are there.
That said, there are many growers in Japan and Korea that would prefer that names be retained strictly by plants propagated by division, and all plants grown from seed (and even mericlone) be given a different name, or at least always be sold with "seedling" in parenthesis.
As many western growers would agree, there would be some merit in a system where plants to be named and sold in this way. In fact, in the future, when the western Neo community becomes big enough, some of these other ideals may become mainstream enough to make an impact on the Neo community as a whole. However, at this very moment in time, the reality is what it is, and hoping for otherwise can't really be much more than wishful thinking.
So, for now at least, as long as the plants in question carry the necessary defined characteristics, we simply cannot fault anyone for selling seed-propagated Neos with the same name as the parent because that is the currently accepted reality of Neos in its own world separate from western orchids.
However, because this reality creates its own unique issues, it is important to do proper research when you are getting into Neos. Some Neo characteristics, by biological nature, can only be inherited by divisions and not by seedlings or mericlones. Some characteristics make a plant sexually sterile, and can only be propagated by division or mericlone. Some characteristics are easily inherited through seed propagation. Knowing which varieties have which characteristics, and knowing which characteristics fall in which category will help in your choices and help shape your expectations. Knowing the defined characteristics of a variety and and knowing what characteristics are variable within that variety will help you find the perfect specimens for your collection. In many ways, yes, the name shouldn't be the only thing you look at when you go to purchase a Neo.
Of course though, this is not to say that Neo names are not important or meaningless. The names do encode necessary information. It's just that that information is not necessarily of the same type as western orchid names.
And also, this does not mean that "original" clones are necessarily lost in the seas of seed grown offspring. There are many growers in Japan and Korea who desire originals of certain varieties, and some growers even insist on original divisions of every variety they own. If you know where to look or who to ask, it's actually not that difficult to obtain them, and an honest vendor will tell you what they know regarding the genetic identity of a given specimen if you ask.
All in all, it really is important to understand that the Neo world and the western orchid world are two completely different and, in many ways, incompatible worlds. To try and enter the world of Neos hard set with the ideas, traditions and naming conventions of western orchids is a lot like moving to a foreign country and expecting their food, culture and customs to be the same as yours. You might not agree with some aspects of their culture, but you can't expect it to change for your own sake.
You know what they say; when in Rome, do as the Romans do.
Naming Sibbed and Selfed Neofinetias
Linear Mode
