Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
Specific Families and Genera => Pleione and Orchidaceae => Topic started by: Maxime_P on March 03, 2010, 10:14:14 PM
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Hello everybody !
I was wondering about all those different clones of formosana but sometimes it's rather difficult to notice the differences such as Pleione formosana 'Clare' and Pleione formosana alba for instance.
Could you enlighten me about them please ? :D (with pics of your plants if possible 8) )
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Hello Maxime,
There should be and for sure is a difference between the different clones of Pleione formosana (alba) that we grow.
If there is no clear difference then these "clones" should not have warranted a proper clonal name to set them apart from the rest.
I have been trying to expand our collection of Pleione formosana clones but it is 1) not easy as they are not widely available, 2) some people did not retain the names or clones got mixed up and 3) sometimes "new" clonal names are invented for known ones.
Take for instance Pleione formosana semi-alba "Cairngorm", a few years ago I bought some bulbs of the clone "W2" and "Red spots"... all the same clone, the one we know as "Cairngorm" ;D
Have a look at the following thread http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=44.msg37268#msg37268 where some normal coloured type flowers are presented. I'll try and present others as they come into flower.
If anybody knows if our 2 clones numbered Pleione formosana [AO-05332] & Pleione formosana [AO-08121] have a proper name then please let me know :)
Concerning your specific question about "Clare" and formosana alba.
In fact "Clare" is a named clone of Pleione formosana alba... so is a plant offered as Pleione formosana alba a "Clare" without the clonal name? You will only know if you purchase both, flower them and compare them.
Same with the formosana alba nivea... nivea is for sure not a clonal name, in fact Pleione nivea = Pleione formosana alba, so is this again a new clone?
I'll try and post pictures of "Clare", "Snow White" and possibly "Snow Bunting" over the next couple of weeks as they come into flower. I recently added "Snow Cap" to the collection, let us hope that it is again different from what we already grow.
kind regards,
Kenneth.
PS: one word of advice do not always trust all Pleione formosana clone pictures on the net...
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I think this is a formosana snow cap. What do you think?
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Small update 'Clare' and 'Snow White' are coming into flower, I'll take pictures this weekend.
Apart from both of them being a clone of formosana alba it is already apparent that 'Clare' has less yellow markings on the lip than 'Snow White'.
I'll give them until the weekend to let the flowers open properly before I shoot them.
'Snow Bunting' (quite a different shaped flower) will follow soon after.
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I think this is a formosana snow cap. What do you think?
No idea yet, "Snow Cap" (or 'Snowcap'?) seems to be the talk of the town this year... everybody has it :)
I'll have to preserve judgement until ours flower so I can compare them.
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I have two white clones of P. formosana, 'Snow Bunting' and 'Yeti'. I also have 'Clare' which i haven't flowered. I find the differences very small. They are all alba forms with yellow markings on the lip. 'Snow Bunting' may have darker yellow markings than 'Clare' and 'Yeti' but without a name tag they might as well be the same. I think there are some that are too eager to name clones.
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I'm interested in Pleione formosana clones with white flowers and darker (red or brownish red) coloured lips.
Are there any differences between the plants offered as Pleione formosana alba 'Cairngorm', Pleione formosana alba 'W 2' and Pleione formosana alba 'Red Spot'? I think 'Lucy Diamond' looks somewhat different with brown and yellow on the lip but haven't seen besides on pictures.
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None of the white forms of formosana I have grown ever really open properly (the lip does not spread widely). These were 'Avalanche', 'Clare' and 'Cairngorm'. Am I doing something wrong? The picture of (possibly) 'Snowcap' above seems to show a properly unfolding lip such as I would expect. My normal pink clones open properly.
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Wouldn't it be very hard to name a certain cultivar once there is doubt whether the label is correct? P. formosana is considered as one single species by the lack of dicontinuous variation.
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Thomas - I believe 'Cairngorm' and 'W2' are the same clone. 'W2' was the breeders code for this clone before the name 'Cairngorm' was established, I think. I don't know about 'Red Spot'.
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According to the information from the RHS, Pleione formosana 'Cairngorm' has 3 synonyms: 'Red Spot', 'Red Throat' and 'Ruby Throat'. They do not mention any thing about 'W2'. Mabye they scratched it of the list after this form of formosana was given the name 'Cairngorm'.
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Perhaps - I originally bought mine as 'W2' but changed the label when the supplier sent their list the next year and it said ' 'Cairngorm' formerly 'W2' '
It has never been a very strong grower, or flowerer, for me but it does persist.
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I regard, for now, Pleione formosana semi-alba 'Cairngorm' / 'W2' and 'Red Spot' as the same plants.
A few years ago I obtained the latter 2 and they all looked the same, however I thought I read something recently about a potential difference, something to do with the lack or presence of yellow on the lip... I'll have to wait for spring to verify again!
I have a small pot of Pleione formosana semi-alba 'Lucy Diamond'... not too bad but a bit of a dissappointment colourwise.
kind regards,
Kenneth.
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Thank you for your replies. :)
I already have one (small) bulb of 'Red Spot' and ordered one bulb of 'W 2' so I'll see whether they finally turn out as being the same thing. Hope they will flower better and more freely than many other formosana clones which just multiply but rarely show a flower.