Cymbidium rectum

[orchids3]

Does anyone know the story behind the hybrid Cymbidium Portagee Pal (Cymbidium rectum x Cymbidium Dry Hole). Strange names make me curious. Sometimes names are registered with the intent to insult someone or make a backhand reference to someones character - maybe?

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Alrighty then...

As much as I got a chuckle out of the butt jokes in connection to Cym rectum, other bits about the strange naming of plants (whether they're meant as tongue-in-cheek insults or just plain humorous innuendo), and off-beat stories of retribution by orchid taxonomists...

I'd like to know a little about what Cym Ladye had said:

Originally Posted by Cym Ladye

Abiom,

Thank you for posting photos of this species. It is virtually impossible to keep alive in cultivation for 99% of those growers attempting to do so. Having a record of its bloom is invaluable.

Are you growing this in cultivation or was it shot in the wild?

CL

Why so difficult?

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Originally Posted by orchids3

Does anyone know the story behind the hybrid Cymbidium Portagee Pal (Cymbidium rectum x Cymbidium Dry Hole). Strange names make me curious.

Sorry don't know the story.

Sounds like a gay joke.

Portagee (Portuguese) Pal...rectum...Dry Hole...

Originally Posted by orchids3

Sometimes names are registered with the intent to insult someone or make a backhand reference to someones character - maybe?

If so...

Why so angry?

It's either way embarrassing for the person who owns the plant, or it just makes for an unusual conversation piece. Could be the new orchid trend.

[Cym Ladye]

Talk about preconceived notions! All these years I have put Cym. rectum in the section Pachyrhizanthe instead of in the section Cymbidium and confused its cultural requirements with that of Cym. macrorhizon of the first mentioned section. Cym. rectum therefore is allied with the other coriacious (thick leaved) warm, humid growing species in the Cymbidium section. They should be fairly easy to grow under the same cultural conditions.

I suspect the reason we see few of them in the United States is not because of what I thought were difficult cultural requirements but that perhaps they are not as attractive as the others in the section: Cym. I]aliofolium[/I], Cym. bicolor and Cym. findlaysonianum. These three are all similar in flower characteristics but are pendent as opposed to the erect habit of Cym. rectum.

In regard to the hybridization by and recent registration of several hybrids using this species, I think it best not to go into this topic on the forum.

CL

[got ants]

And yet, nobody has yet asked...does it smell like ass?

[johnblagg]

Originally Posted by got ants

And yet, nobody has yet asked...does it smell like ass?

LOL I was going to but decided it was just better left alone

[abiom]

Hi just came back frm long course. TQ to all for the comments and inputs. CL, the plant has been with me for almost 1 year. Got ants, so far my nose cant detect anything. And guess what, there is another spike coming.

[InspirChid1712]

Why is it so difficult to grow?

[Cym Ladye]

Elliot,

It isn't difficult to grow if you have the conditions it likes, not that hard to provide. Refer to post #24 in this thread.

CL