Cymbidium suavissimum

[OrchidLover1982]

Has anyone grown this species? I purchased a flask and i'm keen to know if anyone has has experience with this one?

thanks

[stumac]

I find an easy grower and good flowerer

[OrchidLover1982]

thanks I have deflasked some difficult species so should be no problem then.

[Cym Ladye]

Originally Posted by OrchidLover1982

thanks I have deflasked some difficult species so should be no problem then.

Do not be so sure! The plant is not that difficult to grow but if it does not have just the right conditions it wants, it will just sulk and not bloom. Although I have found a happy place for mine, and it blooms every year, most people I know say it is a recalcitrant bloomer at best with flowers lasting only 2 weeks.

Is this is a selfing of the cultivar 'Keith Andrew' or a flask of mericlones of the same?

CL

[OrchidLover1982]

I'm not sure the origin. Its just Cymbidium suavissimum no special title or cultivar name.

[Cym Ladye]

To the best of my knowledge, only one clone of this plant ever existed and that was 'Keith Andrew', which gave rise to some questioning whether it was a true species or not. It has been mericloned and I suspect selfed, so there will be other cultivars out there from the selfing. I suspect yours is probably a mericlone.

CL

[OrchidLover1982]

I'm curious now about the origin of it if it is a species why only one clone? Does it no longer exist in the wild? or only found once in the wild? or never found in the wild to begin with? Can anyone answer these. Seems to be a recognised distinct species so I'm curious now.

[Cym Ladye]

According to DuPuy and Cribb in their monograph, The Genus Cymbidium, it was purportedly only collected once, presumably near Bhamo in northern Burma, close to the border with Yunnan (China). Plants ended up in the hands of Sander. It was first seen and described by C.H. Curtis of the Gardeners' Chronicle (1928) when Sanders exhibited it at the Royal Horticultural Society. No type specimen was preserved.

Given this history, you can see why some question the accuracy of placing a species designation on this plant, attractive as it may be. I would like to see plants from this selfing some day. They may tell the tale.

[OrchidLover1982]

Interesting information. All good so far after deflasking plants are already putting on growth with no signs of going backward and no losses. Seems like a tough one

[Cym Ladye]

You might want to confirm with the seller if you got a flask of seedlings or a flask of mericlones. I hope it is the latter as that will give you a little more variation in what you get and hopefully a more reliable bloomer. If it is a flask of seedlings, is it from a selfing of one plant or a sibling cross, ie cross using two different cultivars of the same species?

These are questions one should ALWAYS ASK when buying flasks.

Cym Ladye