Pleione early 2009.

[Eric Locke]

Two "sister clones" of x Barbarae that both produce Huge 7cm long bulbs of the same shape.
Both these clones are very slow to increase and refuse to flower until the bulbs are about 5cm long.
Brown -spotted  clone has taken me five years to re-flower after the mother bulb rotted and left me with only a small offset.

Eric

[karel_t]

Erik - P. Santorini ‘Yellow Wagtail’ is by my opinion the best selection of Santorini.

About taxonomy of P. x barbarae: Here is a split between two using taxonomy at the moment. In England is accepted mainly the taxonomy by Cribb, which separate P. x barbarae from P. grandiflora on the basis of DNA. However in Central Europe (including Austria) is accepted also a taxonomy by Torelli, where P. x barbarae is non-exist natural hybrid and is described only as a pink form of P. grandiflora. I think, we need much more tests of chromosomes and DNA from different natural places to be sure.

Last Friday I was in England to visit Ian Butterfield. Here are a several photos of his plants the most interesting for me.
P. Jake Butterfield, P. Michael Butterfield and P. aurita x P. coronaria are the new crossing.

 P.-Jake-Butterfield.jpg
 P.-Michael-Butterfield.jpg
 P.-aurita-x-P.-coronaria.jpg
 P.-Suswa.jpg
 P.-Suswa-'Sand-Plover'.jpg
 P.-Marion-Johnson-'Winchat'.jpg
 P.-Shasta.jpg
 P.-Krafla-02.jpg
 P.-Krafla-'Kimi'-01.jpg
 P.-Diler-'Sandpiper'

[Paul Cumbleton]

A little bit more about x barbarae. The DNA work done by Cribb does show that these plants are hybrids even if there is some uncertainty as to the exact identity of the second parent. They are certainly not just pink forms of grandiflora as the genetics rules out this possibility. Has Torelli written anything about his reaction to the DNA work? - I beleive his book was published before the DNA work was done.

As growers have seen, these pink x barbarae actually vary quite a lot in appearance and intensity of colour and they are found like this in the wild. They form what is called a "hybrid swarm". This is where initially two pure species cross with each other, then the offspring back cross to the parents and then the resulting hybrids from those crossings start crossing with each other. Over time, individuals are produced that vary quite a lot in appearance from each other because of the varying amounts of back-crossing and re-crossing that has happened. This may have all happened over hundreds or even thousands of years. This also gives some reasons why populations of x barbarae are found without any obvious "parent" species around. As Eric said, the parents may have grown in the area long ago but have since died out, leaving only the offspring, or the constant crossing, back-crossing and re-crossing has meant that all the original parents got crossed leaving just the hybrid offspring and no "pure" parent material survives. The end result is the hybrid swarm.

[karel_t]

Paul - I agree that DNA tests are absolutely demonstrable. Do you know the date of Cribb's test? I think, Torelli updated his taxonomy last in 2002.

[Alessandro.marinello]

Pleione formosana alba

[Pete Clarke]

Karel - terrific pics of Ian Butterfield's plants, thanks for showing us some of his superb breeding efforts.

Rob - Shantung "Christine" is a very nice form & looks quite different to most Shantungs. Does it fade to almost white over days?

It is interesting to see everyones different x barbarae, here is my first to flower. (Bought as grandiflora - & some in the batch were.)
Shantung - a very floppy flower but has a nice big lip, bought many years ago.
Volcanello
Another Ueli Wackernagel clone.
What is this? I think it may be a form of Vesuvius. Any suggestions would be welcome.

[Eric Locke]

Out of all the Pleiones in my collection , Littondale "Oxnop" is one I really look forward to flowering again.
I do find this beauty rather slow to increase which is why ,I guess, so rarely available.
It has taken me several years from my one original purchase to reach a pan of seven flowering pseudobulbs.
I am very happy, as the first one opened today.

Karel - Thanks for sharing your photos from your visit to Ian"s . Great ! 

Eric

[Eric Locke]

What is this? I think it may be a form of Vesuvius. Any suggestions would be welcome.

Hi Pete

Another fine batch of photos.
Looks like a vesuvius to me and very much like "Grey Wagtail ". I did post a photo of this earlier if it is of any help.

Your Volcanello clone is superb and much better ,even than the photo shows.

Eric

[Paul Cumbleton]

Paul - I agree that DNA tests are absolutely demonstrable. Do you know the date of Cribb's test? I think, Torelli updated his taxonomy last in 2002.

Hi Karel,
Cribb's DNA work was published in 2004, so a couple of years after Torelli's taxonomy.

Cheers

Paul

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Two "sister clones" of x Barbarae that both produce Huge 7cm long bulbs of the same shape.
Both these clones are very slow to increase and refuse to flower until the bulbs are about 5cm long.
Brown -spotted  clone has taken me five years to re-flower after the mother bulb rotted and left me with only a small offset.

Eric

I think they're well worth the wait Eric - they're two beauties !
I agree with you on Littondale Oxnop - a real little stunner !  I tried it once but lost it in it's second season... 

Karel,
Thanks very much to show us some of Ian's latest wonders !  I definitely must find the time to go and visit.. 

A great batch you showed us Pete and, like Eric, I find your Volcanello truly superb !

[Eric Locke]

Luc - Those x Barbarae clones,particularily the Lavender  clone and Littondale "Oxnop" are  in my top five .
       Pete"s Volcanello is a very vigorous clone making large bulbs with very large flowers too.

Two more clones from Jan Berg"s Ueli Wackernagel cross .

Eric

[Eric Locke]

Three more including a lovely deep Pink x Barbarae .

Etna "Bulfinch"
Jorullo "Long -Tailed Tit
X Barbarae

Eric

[karel_t]

Paul - thank you for information. I think now is everything clear.

Several next from Czech.

Karel.


 Pleione aurita
 Pln. Callisto
 Pln. Masaya 01
 Pln. Stromboli 'Fireball'

[Paul T]

Just catching up on this topic after a while without viewing it.  Some amazing stuff in here, that is for sure.  Thanks everyone.

[Rob]

Ian Butterfield's stand looked great as usual at the Malvern show yesterday, see attached pics.