Leaf Variegations - L. lobata 'Golden Feather'

[catwalker808]

Vegetatively variegated sports can occur from normal green plants. Often these sports begin with a slight white or yellowish streak in a leaf. Leaves of subsequent pbulbs often lose the variegation and the plant reverts back to green.

Sometimes, the new leaves have the same variegation or a larger white marking. If the variegated portion of the leaf becomes large, that pbulb will grow slowly. If a new shoot emerges from an alba location of the variegated pbulb, it will be variegated or may become all white. If a new shoot emerges from a green portion, it will probably be green. The green pbulbs will grow much faster than the variegated ones. If a pbulb has all white leaves, it cannot produce its own food. It will continue to survive as long as it is connected to the green portion of the plant. However, if an all alba portion of the plant is severed from the rest of the plant, it will not survive.

I have seen variegations emerge from many different genera of orchid plants: cats, dens, catasetums, cycnoches, oncidiums, vanda, Aerangis ...

There does seem to be one general rule with variegations. Normally, each side of the center rib of the plant leaf is nearly a mirror image of the other side of the rib. If a variegation is symmetrical, it will be stable and continue on new growths of the plant. By symmetrical, I mean that the variegation on one side of the mid rib is a mirror image of the other side of the rib. The symmetry may be: a single white streak on the mid rib; mirror image white streaks on each side of the mid rib; a green leaf with mirror image white margins; a nearly white leaf with mirror image green strips; or even several mirror image white strips. The key seems to be symmetry.

I have seen this same rule apply to other plants besides orchids. If the variegation is not symmetrical, it will change on subsequent growths. This is not always bad, since a sequence of unstable asymmetrical changes may sometimes result in a symmetrical variegation ... which is stable.

Below are a few examples of leaf variegations. The first photo is a normal plant of L. lobata v. alba. The original developed a tiny sliver of white on one leaf. Over many years and after many new canes, the leaves in photo 2 developed. Another division has identical leaves.

Photos 3 & 4 are examples of asymmetrical variegations in den tetragonum & Cycnoches herrenhusanum.

[Sun rm.N.E.]

Thanks for the interesting photos, and reminding us that some chlorophyl is necessary to keep a plant that is not a parasite alive, let alone thrive.

I have been collecting variegated plants for years and found out that some of this is caused by viruses, like the interesting variegations in some tulip flowers.

[RosieC]

Interesting. Thanks Catwalker.

[trdyl]

Thanks for posting.

[isurus79]

Thanks for the post Catwalker! How can you tell you are getting variegation on a plant and not just giving it too much sun? Also, what causes spontaneous variegation? It seem like a deleterious abnormality for the plant.

[catwalker808]

Thanks for the feedback.

Isurus. Some replies to your questions.

How can you tell you are getting variegation on a plant and not just giving it too much sun?

You just have to set aside plants which look like they have white, yellow, or lighter green markings ... even very small or faint markings. (Brown or black streaks do NOT count as variegations.) Wait while you grow older. After enough time has passed, your wishful thinking will either produce a variegation in the plant ... or not.

Also, what causes spontaneous variegation?

I will leave that question to those more knowledgeable than myself on those matters. However, over 30 years ago, I read an article that sufficiently high doses of radiation could be one cause. So I had an x-ray technician friend of mine bundle up some plants and leave them in his x-ray room for a few weeks. No variegations appeared in any plants. The doses were probably too low. (No variegations appeared in any of his patients either.)

Our plants are not exposed to any radiation ... except, perhaps for my radiant personality ... or the radiant beauty of some female visitors. Of course, the sun may also provide a wee bit.

It seems like a deleterious abnormality for the plant.

I'm sure the plant's not too happy about parts being deprived of chlorophyl & food producing capability.