Awarded clone question.

[BrassavolaStars]

Hello all,

I have a question about awarded clones. If a clone is awarded, does that mean all of the plants of that clone count as awarded?

Example:

I have Angraecum Crestwood clone ‘Tomorrow Star’. The label on my plant does not list awards but according to the AOS, ‘Tomorrow Star’ has won an FCC/AOS. Does that mean mine is an FCC plant too since it’s a Tomorrow Star even though it has no awards on its label?

So, if I have clones that have labels that don’t list awards even though other plants of the same clone have been awarded, can I add those awards to my tags?

[SouthPark]

Yes - absolutely ------- as long as that orchid is a 'clone' (and clone strictly means identical DNA --- identical - with the 'mother' or 'original' plant), then the award comes along with the clone.

If somehow a mutation occurred during the cloning 'process' .... or if a mutation occurred (in any which way), then the orchid won't be a clone, so the award won't come with it (due to DNA being different). Not only will the award not come with a plant that doesn't have exact DNA match ------ the cultivar tag wouldn't come along with it too for a non-clone. Same grex - ok - but different cultivar.

There will be uncertainty as to whether a 'clone' plant really is a CLONE - so growers just keep the tag anyway (together with the award label).

But if home growers are mainly looking for a flower that pretty much passes for the looks of what they're looking for - then that's great. As in, a lot of us like particular looks of particular flowers, which is why we collect particular ones. And a lot of us also just like any flower - regardless of their appearance (which is great!).

The main thing is - a 'mericlone' doesn't necessarily mean a clone. The only way maybe to see if a mericlone is really a clone is with a really reliable DNA testing procedure - which is probably out of reach for most people.

It is ok to add an FCC/AOS to that 'Tomorrow Star' tag.

[Mr.Fakename]

From what I understand, it would make sense that an award is only valid for one plant.

The AOS judging handbook lists some criteria such as:

Size and condition of plant
Floriferousness
Condition of bloom
Flower characteristics (Form, Color, Size)
Plant characteristics (Robustness, Condition, Floriferousness)
Aesthetic appeal

Because the mother orchid is able to achieve high standard doesn't mean your clone, under your conditions, will be as good (unfortunately)

[SouthPark]

This is a very nice thread for discussion about award labels associated with cultivar names.

My orchid tags don't contain award labels that might be linked to the cultivar. Although, I do keep track of history information in my mind about certain orchids.

Although, I assumed all along that a cultivar plant (clone or division or original) will take on the highest award it ever achieved - not necessarily the actual plant itself, but just the cultivar. It's like a way of giving credit or something from that cultivar's achievements in a plant competition. Or for a nice exta information - for attracting buyers from a commercial/business point of view too.

MFN does have a good point there! So will be interesting to see how the award naming actually works. My previous assumptions could be wrong! They were just assumption. Nice post MFN.

[Roberta]

My understanding is that mericlones of the awarded cultivar carry the flower quality awards of the original plant (like FCC/AOS, AM/AOS, HCC/AOS). The assumption (which is mostly accurate) is that mericlones (and divisions) are genetically identical to the original plant. That is also the implication of carrying the cultivar name, to identify a specific plant.. a different plant from the same seed capsule would not carry the cultivar name, but could get a different name, or none, being the same cross but not genetically the same plant. Cultural awards, however, are given to the grower not the plant. So those awards (CCM/AOS, CCE/AOS, etc) should not carry over to mericlones, and really not even to divisions - it is "cultural event", not just the plant that is being awarded. (The cultural award is really given to the the plant + grower at a point in time)

[SouthPark]

Thanks Roberta. Will definitely remember what you mentioned in the above excellent post.

[BrassavolaStars]

Most of my plants I believe are keikis and bulb divisions. So those would definitely carry the award then?

[SouthPark]

The tag can have the award added to it for keikis and divisions. Keikis and divisions from a mericlone can be 'assumed' to have the same DNA as the original awarded plant - unless clearly some mutation occurred from visual observations of flowers. It's an assumption, because there's often uncertainty in whether an orchid really does have exact DNA match with the original plant ----- except when a full-on DNA test was done ----- which in itself is not often straight-forward to do.

[Fairorchids]

This is why 'Mother Divisions' (natural divisions of the original awarded plant) carry such high price tags (think 3 digits, sometimes 4).

Meristems made from mother divisions are priced higher, than random meristems, which might be 2-5 generations removed from a mother division.

Meristems are assumed to be 'identical' to the mother plant, but as mentioned above, we just can't be certain.