cattleya General Patton - Orchid Board

james mickelso · #1 12-31-2011, 01:16 PM

Hi kids. Happy New Year to all. I have recently flowered a very fragrant white cattleya that I believe is a General Patton. After my clubs annual auction I took home a bunch of cattleyas which were donated but didn't sell and were in very poor condition. I have been either potting what I can salvage or putting them in gallon ziplock bags with damp spagnum moss. One of the catts had the very beginnings of a flower sheath poking up and I put it in a gallon bag and put it in the warmest place in my greenhouse. When it put forth a couple roots I potted it in medium bark, charcol, perlite and peat moss. It has continued to do well and the flowers finally matured and opened. I have looked all over the internet and this is what I found. General Patton. Cross of c. Barbara Billingsley x c. Bow Bells. Flowered by Clint McDade Rivermont Orchids, Tenn 1952 and first registered as c. Joseph Stalin. But after the dictators heinous crimes became known, RHS was asked to rename the catt after General Patton. The tag which accompanied the plant I have read c b billingsley x c bowb ll and a bunch of other letters w/numbers. Very difficult to read. When I figure out how to load the pictures to here I will. Hope all have a wonderful New Year.

Phal grower · #2 12-31-2011, 05:38 PM

I enjoy trying to salvage neglected plants. I recently aquired an onc. sharry baby that I'm trying to revive. Got it in the bag but no roots so far. Good going on your catt.

james mickelso · #3 01-01-2012, 12:53 AM

Thanks. That is the part I enjoy about orchids. Trying to keep them alive when most others would throw them out. Sharry Baby is worth the effort. One of mine is sitting downstairs with the most gorgeous fragrance. Happy New Year and happy growing.

Bud · #4 01-01-2012, 01:33 AM

I think the RHS is not a group of people to trust. They should abide by the grower's naming of the plant and not their own twisted outlook on politics...they have proven they are not fair and they are not trustworthy. If the breeder named it Stalin: they have no bussiness naming it to Patton...
that is putting their power as a registry into shame...The Russian is bad let us name it after the American bigot...its very political and racist ...I really do not trust the RHS...we should come up with something more dynamic and efficient group of archivists who are robots and no emotion should color their judgements...and stick to a scientific way of naming plants...and no more latin names its so ancient and old world that latin is not even recognized by google translator

james mickelso · #5 01-02-2012, 04:56 PM

Clint McDade, the grower of the original hybrid cattleya General Patton, asked the RHS to rename the orchid after he found out what a heinous, ruthless murderer of millions of people, Joseph Stalin had been. The RHS acquiesced and allowed McDade to rename the orchid. It is the only instance where an orchid had been allowed to be renamed. The RHS didn't name the orchid. Clint McDade did and he was allowed to change it. McDade and Sons was a well known orchid growing and hybridizing nursery located in Rivermont, Tenn. in the 1940's and 1950's. They had hybridized, named and registered many orchids during the 50's. This particular orchid was a cross between c. Barbara Billingsley, a cattleya named after a famous movie and television actress (Leave It To Beaver), and c. Bow Bells, a famous white cattleya. It is interesting that B. Billingsley, as far as I can ascertain, was a coruela colored cattleya and c. Bow Bells of course is a famous pure white cattleya. General Patton is pure white with a yellow throat. And very fragrant. I hope this clears up any misunderstanding.

Zoi2 · #6 01-02-2012, 06:31 PM

That's a very interesting story, thanks for posting it.
Joann

msaar · #7 01-02-2012, 07:15 PM

Barbara Billingsly (and General Patton, for that matter) consists of only three Cattleya species: trianae, gaskelliana and mossiae. Over 3/4 of Barbara Billingsly is from trianae, both as a parent and grandparent, so the color would be highly dependent on the color form of the trianae used. Three of the four awarded Barbara Billingsly flowers were white; I couldn't find a description of the fourth. I would think it likely that McDade used a white Barbara Billingsly. Strangely enough, there are photos of two purple Barbara Billingsly in OrchidWiz.

james mickelso · #8 01-03-2012, 01:48 AM

Yes, I saw the pink/purple B. Billingsley on orchid whiz too. I don't have a copy but a good knowlegeable friend of mine has it and we went looking for info on the subject matter. I saw only that color on the few pictures I could find on the web. Maybe these are the only extant pictures available. And orchid whiz says that c. Mandanae x c. Trianae were the parents of B. Billingsley. An H. Patterson crossed it in 1946 according to orchid whiz. You sound fairly knowlegeable so have you ever heard of a c. Barbara Billingsley x c. Joan or Jean Halliday or Holloway? The tag on one of the rescue orchids I'm nurturing was very difficult to read but that is what I could make out. I'd love to find out what it is. Once I flower the rescue orchids I have I will be better able to ID them. Most of them didn't have tags or the tags were so old that the info was gone. But I'm having fun with the project so whatever comes of them it is all enjoyment. Thanks for the additional info. Any help is great ly appreciated.

Bud · #9 01-03-2012, 01:51 AM

Sorry for the misunderstanding James. I have always had a bone to pick with RHS and I always look for instances where they will make a boo boo...
But this is where I admit I am wrong.

james mickelso · #10 01-03-2012, 02:03 AM

I am fascinated reading about the history of orchids I come to possess. I entertain all comments. 99% of the orchids I have came from the donation tables at orchid clubs or cast-offs from others. I have orchids I've found nearly dead in dumpsters. Or I get orchids at Santa Barbara Orchid Estates' annual sales. I buy the 2 inch potted for $7.50 a piece and think it a bargain. I try to find out about the orchids I get. When I can bring them back from the brink, especially to get them to flower, I am thrilled. I cultivated bonsai for 40 years until I finally gave it up because of lack of room and too much moving around. So orchids takes the place of that addiction. Again all comments are welcome.