WHAT’S IN A NAME:
Thank you, Andy Easton and Theresa Hill, for their contributions towards the content in this article.
The Penny has dropped or the Light just came on are but two phrases you may have used or heard in your younger days. But how do these phrases apply to Orchids? The answer is all but in a name.
In various orchid forums around the world I have seen the reference to Miltoniopsis Isler’s Red and in fact have one but no one seemed to know anything about the breeding behind the, name.
Questions were raised like were we asking the right people, was the forum the right place to find out, or was this just the commercial name given to this Mps.There was no doubt from either Orchid Wiz or the RHS registers that there was no history of the plant Mps Isler’s Red. So, the digging had to continue.
You can not always go to the source as they may have passed or simply gone off the social media grid. But with the aid of our social media network one can only live in hope.
Then the penny dropped why not ask someone in the heart of Mps territory if they had any ideas.They Did and the journey took another step forward leaping continent’s while doing so. This second source turned the light on. Maybe “Isler’s Red” is a cultivar name. This grower rightly says that while it is not entirely possible to be certain Isler’s Red may well be a cultivar name for Mps. Islandia (Hamburg x Anamaria Baptista) registered in 1997 by Castle Rock Orchids.
While there is no photo of this plant on Orchid Wiz the parentage does tend to indicate strong alliance that this may well be the case.
Have we now solved the mystery of Mps Isler’s Red anyone with a photo of Mps. Islandia will help confirm or contribute towards continuance of this quest.
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