Unknown greenish catt alliance - digbyana influence?

[Aussie42]

Hi All.

Once again, another unknown. I suspect some fairly strong digybana influence from the lip. I didn't realise until recently that digbyana is (apparently) principally night-scented and I don't know if this one smells at night. It's not out at the moment. I've been working on my photo library...

I've spent a couple of hours looking for images of digby crosses but this is nearly impossible given the widespread use of digbyana...

The label says "Chocolate Top". RHS has nothing on this or similar names. There is a Calianthe Chocolate Drop but that is nothing like this one.

Anyone have any ideas?

Cheers,
Aus.

[RJSquirrel]

sure looks like a Cattleya Dowiana X B Digbyana to my poor eyes

A very nice looking flower too mister. Its had plenty of light and thats the secret to blooming them out

[Aussie42]

Dang Mr Squirrel, I think you've cracked it! They get plenty of light and they usually send spikes with every new cane, but I took it out of the shadehouse to take the pics.

I have quite a few pieces of this and I can't wait to see if it's night-scented.

Cheers,
Aus.

[kindrag23]

BEAUTIFUL!

[Kanaka John]

The cross is as good as you will get, the grower may have called it chocolate top as a variety for themselves. Digbyana is there for sure, the night fragrance is the key. It is only fragrant when the insect polinator is active. That is why is smells more at specific times, usually early evening or night. Over tne years you will get these little jewels you like, just don't breed them, we have enough problems with unidentified plants now!

[brn_thmbs]

such soft colors

[Kanaka John]

Some of the older crosses of digbyana came suprisingly light. I have some , 50+year old, that look like the one photo. I have a cross I made 40 years ago digbyana"Chase"X blc. green lady, a beautiful round green, 6"flower, blooms 2x year and smells like lemons. You never know what will come from a cross. There is so much unknown genetics in the jungle plant that no one can know what the crosses will turn out. ( you hope your guess is close to darwin's punnet square.)

[pipsxlch]

I think it's a good thing I'm not in Oz or I'd be begging to buy a piece lol. Gorgeous.

[Aussie42]

I must confess to being a huge digbyana fan. I have about 5 little seedlings of B digbyana "Mrs Chase x self" and I am rather impatient to seeing how they turn out. A couple more years of impatience coming my way though...

This digbyana cross is one of my favourites - day scented, a real stunner:

http://www.orchidboard.com/community...oopy-pink.html

[Kanaka John]

Remember for the splitters it is not brassivolia it is rhycolalia digbyana. I an going to get a new funk & wagnal for my spelling.
I haven't had to spell these for yeeeears.