Paph with odd tag is in bloom!

[CMroz]

One of my 3 new paphs is in bloom! I received this plant at an orchid auction and am still doing a bit of research on the tag. I'm relatively new to growing, but this tag is pretty complex compared to what I have seen so far:

Paph. (Hsinying Web x Magic Cherry) Double
x Paph. superbiens '2012'

I'm not sure I've ever seen "double" on a tag before, but I assume that means it's multi-floral? I've read about superbiens, but cannot find the specific "Web x Cherry" cross. This was grown by a well known local breeder. Anyway, here's the good stuff!

[camille1585]

That's a great looking Paph, the colors are beautiful. Great photos as well, it really shows off the flower.

The label is intriguing, I also have no idea what 'double' refers to. Could it also mean double as in doubled chromosomes, so 4n plant?

According to the RHS site, the cross Hsinying Web x Magic Cherry isn't registered. I can find both parents, but no registered offspring for that cross.

[Optimist]

great color! Lots of nice stripes and warts. The droopy petals are rather unusual. This is a good one!

[No-Pro-mwa]

Lovely colors on it and I love those warts.

[Fairorchids]

Many labels do not follow the correct format. I believe that this label should have read:

Paph. ({Hsinying Web x Magic Cherry} 'Double' x superbiens '2012')

• There is no need to repeat Paph in front of each parent, as intergeneric hybrids are not possible with Paphs.
• The location of "Double" makes it a clonal name, similar to the "2012" on the superbiens. Exactly what this means is anybodies guess.

[PaphMadMan]

Paph (Hsinying Web x Magic Cherry) has not been registered, but both are pretty typical Maudiae-type hybrids often seen as vinicolor. The further cross with Paph superbiens as also not be registered, of course.

There is no standard meaning or purpose for the word Double in that position, so it could mean many things, or there may be no meaning and it is simply something that got miscopied or misapplied in this label.

It perhaps should be 'Double' as a cultivar name for the unregistered parent, or it could be descriptive of a 2 flowered plant or a tetraploid as has been suggested. It is not a true multi-floral Paph, but any Maudiae-type could be 2-3 flowered on occasion. It might also be a partial name of another plant involved in the overall cross somehow.

The form shows a lot of influence from Paph superbiens, including the droop of the petals. That is also a trait that some forms of Paph callosum have, and that is the other major species in the overall background of the cross.

[CMroz]

Thanks for the info everyone! I hadn't ever really heard of 4n plants, so I did some research based on your responses. I came across some very interesting articles! It seems like every response on my posts sends me down new and fascinating paths of orchid/plant knowledge.

Anyway, after reading all of the great descriptions of what "double" could mean, I scrutinized the tag a little more closely. It seems like Fairorchids hit the nail on the head. I was able to see one small and smudged quotation mark that leads me to believe it is indeed a clonal name. It seemed odd that an unregistered cross would have a clonal name, so it threw me off!



Thanks again for all the great info - and sparking my interest in ploidy levels!

[PaphMadMan]

Yes, it most likely is intended to be a clonal/cultivar name. It is somewhat common to give an unregistered cross a cultivar name if it is being cloned or used in breeding, especially if the grower has several or many plants of the cross. They need some way to designate a specific plant, and a cultivar name is the best way to do it. The grower may not want to bother naming the cross until after it proves to be successful, or if it isn't their own cross they don't have the option to name it without permission of the person who made the cross.