New: Zygopetalum? ZygoSepalum? Rhein Moonlight

[lotis146]

Over a week ago (last Monday) I ordered Zygopetalum Rhein Moonlight. Something happened with USPS and it didn't arrive till today, Wednesday. Opening the package the media was all over but worse the tips of the its leaves are brown, there's one smaller leaf that has brown damage all over it & & & it appears 2/3 of the buds developing on the spike are shot (dried up & brown). I assume this all to be damage due to cold as it sat for so long when it should have arrived no later than Saturday (when other plant did). This is my first of this species but I think my assumption this is all cold damage is correct, however I do have faith it will survive & am at least pleased that it appears one of the buds survived.

The only other issue is that its tag reads "Zygosepalum Rhein Moonlight", not exactly what I bought. I've contacted the seller and we'll see from there. But until then here's some pics of my poor guy:

[Bud]

The rule of thumb is:
You follow what is written on the tag.
The vendor must have assumed that it is a Zygopetalum and did not really look closely at the tag. (It is obvious that your vendor is not the grower of your plant).
The couple of leaves got crumpled in the process of folding the newspaper=hopefully it will right itself through the days.
The damaged leaf at the bottom needs to be cut, and the rest of the other damaged leaves needs to be cut only on the damaged areas, you will still need the healthy part of the leaves to do its job.
Over all your plant is healthy by looking at the bulbs and the way the roots are still clinging to the media even if some media got dislodged in transit.
The big bud will open into full bloom but some edges are already discolored and damaged due to rubbing on a surface as the box was in transit=some professional sellers cover the buds with a cotton like material so as not to rub on anything.... the lower bud will open perfectly if you give it humidity and warmth.
Observe if the petals are pyloric and if the sepals are fused at the bottom: then it is a true Zygosepalum as tagged.
But if you really wanted a Zygopetalum and don't want a Zygosepalum=then return it and get yourself a true Zygopetalum if your vendor have those in stock.

---------- Post added at 10:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:36 PM ----------

You have a legitimate complaint. Your vendor made a mistake in selling you a Zygosepalum instead of a Zygopetalum.
And the vendor did not pack your plant properly resulting in mechanical damage. The plant did not suffer cold weather or frost it was banged inside the box in transit.

[RosieC]

There is only one Rhein Moonlight in the zygo types of orchid, so you did get what you ordered, it's just a confusion of whoever wrote out the tag/vendor listing as to getting the exact genus name correct.

You won't be able to get a Zygopetalum Rhein Moonlight as it doesn't exist, but this should be very similar in how it is cared for to a Zygopetalum. If you really only want a Zygopetalum then you'll need to get a different hybrid.

Rhein Moonlight is actually Zygolum according to the RHS. It's a cross between a Zygosepalum and a Zygopetalum.

Note something else I've found...

Zygolum Rhein Moonlight = Zygosepalum labiosum x Zygopetalum Artur Elle

However

Rhein Clown = Zygosepalum labiosum x Zygopetalum Artur Elle
Louisendorf grex = Zygosepalum labiosum x Zygopetalum Artur Elle

The cross has been registered 3 times under 3 different names!!!! What is more Rhein Moonlight and Rhein Clown were by the same person in the same year.

The RHS say that the accepted name is Louisendorf grex (which was the first registered), the other two are accepted synonyms. There are a few reasons this could have happened. In older crosses before the records were computerised it could have been a mistake that no one realised it had already been registered. It can also happen because it's decided that two species are actually varieties of one species, they are reclasified and the change ripples down to all hybrids made with them. This is most likely to explain why the same person registered both Rhein Moonlight and Rhein Clown in the same year. They were probably slightly different parent names when registered but taxonomy has since combined them.

[lotis146]

Originally Posted by Bud

The rule of thumb is:
You follow what is written on the tag.
The vendor must have assumed that it is a Zygopetalum and did not really look closely at the tag. (It is obvious that your vendor is not the grower of your plant).
The couple of leaves got crumpled in the process of folding the newspaper=hopefully it will right itself through the days.
The damaged leaf at the bottom needs to be cut, and the rest of the other damaged leaves needs to be cut only on the damaged areas, you will still need the healthy part of the leaves to do its job.
Over all your plant is healthy by looking at the bulbs and the way the roots are still clinging to the media even if some media got dislodged in transit.
The big bud will open into full bloom but some edges are already discolored and damaged due to rubbing on a surface as the box was in transit=some professional sellers cover the buds with a cotton like material so as not to rub on anything.... the lower bud will open perfectly if you give it humidity and warmth.
Observe if the petals are pyloric and if the sepals are fused at the bottom: then it is a true Zygosepalum as tagged.
But if you really wanted a Zygopetalum and don't want a Zygosepalum=then return it and get yourself a true Zygopetalum if your vendor have those in stock.

---------- Post added at 10:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:36 PM ----------

You have a legitimate complaint. Your vendor made a mistake in selling you a Zygosepalum instead of a Zygopetalum.
And the vendor did not pack your plant properly resulting in mechanical damage. The plant did not suffer cold weather or frost it was banged inside the box in transit.

I feel bad I didn't see this sooner. I do indeed appreciate you taking the time to write this reply, even more so now that my one surviving bud opened today. My flower looks very much like yours in the thread you posted before. I contacted the seller with this information - no pic at the time - his response as of today is that they don't carry Zygosepalum so it is impossible, they only carry Zygopetalum. He assures me it's a typo on the tag. Here is my flower:




After it opened I came back to your previous thread and I looked up some other Zygosepalum photos online as well as Zygopetalum. The Zygosepalums all resembled my flower (varying color) while the petalums have the uniform petals. I haven't left the seller feedback, I wanted to see the flower as I had a feeling that this wasn't a typo.

I appreciate too your information about the shipping. I haven't taken my case further with USPS - procrastination - seeing as it may not be entirely their fault I'm in a bind I guess. Only one bud survived. I did make a note to myself that had the plant been properly backed the medium would not have been everywhere. There's a lot of brownish markings on the leaves, most. I assumed it to be damage from the perlite all over them and/or cold. Of course having received a Wils twice Zygos size & a Paph 'Hawaiian Illusion' without any runaway medium spoke loudly to me.

But in any case, again I thank you, and would appreciate any further use of your expertise with these species given the picture I provided above. Lighting is bad on my part with the flash I can provide more if need be. I plan to send a picture to the seller as well who claims Zygosepalum is only a typo and they don't carry them.

[lotis146]

Originally Posted by RosieC

There is only one Rhein Moonlight in the zygo types of orchid, so you did get what you ordered, it's just a confusion of whoever wrote out the tag/vendor listing as to getting the exact genus name correct.

You won't be able to get a Zygopetalum Rhein Moonlight as it doesn't exist, but this should be very similar in how it is cared for to a Zygopetalum. If you really only want a Zygopetalum then you'll need to get a different hybrid.

Rhein Moonlight is actually Zygolum according to the RHS. It's a cross between a Zygosepalum and a Zygopetalum.

Note something else I've found...

Zygolum Rhein Moonlight = Zygosepalum labiosum x Zygopetalum Artur Elle

However

Rhein Clown = Zygosepalum labiosum x Zygopetalum Artur Elle
Louisendorf grex = Zygosepalum labiosum x Zygopetalum Artur Elle

The cross has been registered 3 times under 3 different names!!!! What is more Rhein Moonlight and Rhein Clown were by the same person in the same year.

The RHS say that the accepted name is Louisendorf grex (which was the first registered), the other two are accepted synonyms. There are a few reasons this could have happened. In older crosses before the records were computerised it could have been a mistake that no one realised it had already been registered. It can also happen because it's decided that two species are actually varieties of one species, they are reclasified and the change ripples down to all hybrids made with them. This is most likely to explain why the same person registered both Rhein Moonlight and Rhein Clown in the same year. They were probably slightly different parent names when registered but taxonomy has since combined them.

My apologies to you as well Rosie for not replying sooner. As you may have already read my reply to Bud you can see that my seller has told me they only carry Zygopetalum and that my tag is a typo. But you can also see in my picture that that looks more like Zygosepalum. Here is the representative bloom picture posted with the listing:


I'm already aware that there would be color variations, as is often the case, however there's more than that here. The listing said:

"The Pictures: The first picture represents an example of what the flower on your orchid should look like, and there can be some variation. The second picture is a sample picture of the plant for sale. Yours will look similar in size and shape to the sample picture. Actual plant pictures available upon request."

I understand from what you've explained and what I've seen online that there's a lot of confusion online regarding this plant/species/hybrid/what have you.

I don't dislike this plant by any means, but I did want Zygopetalum. The issue is that I believed to be buying one thing but received something else, paid for something else that showed up a little beat up (lucky for me I still got at least one flower to enjoy! ).

[Bud]

WOW ....I am amazed that your vendor is not informed or knowledgeable. Vendors must at least know something about the orchids they are selling. It is a lie that they only sell Zygopetalum since you have a palpable proof that you were sold a Zygosepalum.
Yet you have a beautiful orchid plant.
Rosie gave us a very enlightening piece of information that shed light to what orchid plant we both really have.
And I suggest we follow 'Zygolum' since it is the one that is correct.

[lotis146]

Originally Posted by Bud

WOW ....I am amazed that your vendor is not informed or knowledgeable. Vendors must at least know something about the orchids they are selling. It is a lie that they only sell Zygopetalum since you have a palpable proof that you were sold a Zygosepalum.
Yet you have a beautiful orchid plant.
Rosie gave us a very enlightening piece of information that shed light to what orchid plant we both really have.
And I suggest we follow 'Zygolum' since it is the one that is correct.

Thank you all the way around and I agree! I'm going to go back and read her reply and probably copy and paste it in my records so I have the right information. Lol.

I sent the seller a picture of the plant today stating this is a Zygosepalum and there's obviously been an error with your supplier. They said "Perhaps", lol, and went into saying I still got a plant that resembles the representative picture and that it's in the same genus so they're in a tight spot. They asked what I want to do as a solution and offered possibly giving me a discount on my next order. Strangely enough, I out of curiosity went to see their listings and they're ALL GONE!

But honestly I don't think I really want to buy any plants from them! I too am kind of shocked by their response and lack of knowledge. How many other people will or have ordered this plant and received sepalum but told the tags a typo??? This is a beautiful plant and I would like to keep it, however were I more hardcore with my collection I probably wouldn't be so lenient. Or say I already have this hybrid...etc. etc. etc. Upon further image searching I found people with Zygopetalum Louisendorf that looked JUST LIKE the picture from the listing. I am grateful to Rosie for having educated us on this matter because I can see now that no doubt there is a lot of confusion out there. Most of all I thought for sure once I sent the picture of my plant they'd go "OHHHHHH" not "Perhaps". It is what it is I know, and am glad i like the plant at all but unhappy in terms of transactions and business aspects. That and the poor packing job makes me uninterested in ordering even with a discount...unless it's a super awesome discount for a crazy plant! Then again it might show up and be a duck!

---------- Post added at 03:54 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:53 PM ----------

Perhaps I should direct this vendor to the information provided by Rosie...