Onc. John Louis Shirrah (ornithorhyncum x hyphaematicum)

[Sun rm.N.E.]

Onc. John Louis Shirrah 'Profusion' blooms every year in the second week of December with 3 foot flower spikes. I love the form of the flowers; the sparkling white lip, pink on the reverse, and the pink dot in the center.

It has been growing in water culture for 4 years and will probably stay there since I would have increasing difficulty lifting a larger pots filled leca. However in water culture it requires a very small root mass and a medium sized vase to grow well.

It is somewhat confusing that the the reverse cross hyphaematicum x ornithorhyncum was registered first, using single 'r' in Shirah: Onc. John Louis Shirah. I got mine directly from the breeder Milton Carpenter who labeled it as Onc. John Louis Shirrah 'Profusion' and his labeling was repeated in subsequent awards.

[tuvoc]

Fantastic! Well done!

Kim

[Zoi2]

What a gorgeous "profusion" of blooms!
Joann

[Junebug]

Spectacular cascade of blooms. Nice Growing. Reminds me of my Sharry Baby who recently exhibited the same type of spots on about 25% of her blooms. Is this one scented?

[RosieC]

Wow... that's fantastic, what a mass of blooms!

[Sun rm.N.E.]

Thanks June bug and Rosie.

Originally Posted by Junebug

Spectacular cascade of blooms. Nice Growing. Reminds me of my Sharry Baby who recently exhibited the same type of spots on about 25% of her blooms. Is this one scented?

Your Sharry clone is really beautiful. I have had 5 different ones in the past including 'Red Fantasy' and not all of them have the red spot, and not every flower. As you know both these Oncids share the ornithorhyncum parent but John Louis Shirrah is a primary. This plant does not multiply as rapidly as some Sharry Baby clones I have and the flowers are not strongly scented. You have to be close to smell it. Like some artfully balanced perfume, it reminds me of linden flowers, then rose, and sometimes one of the less pungent lilacs.