Cyrtocidium Gower Ramsey - Orchid Board

shadytrake · #1 10-17-2010, 11:25 AM

This is a nice little plant which belongs to the Memphis Botanic Gardens. My hubby is responsible for the orchids there and has been nursing them back to health after quite a long period of neglect.

It is amazing how hardy orchids really are. Sometimes a little water and light is all they need.

Anyway I took this photo and it is okay. I've been practicing a little with the digital. I really need a close up lens to get the smaller blooms.

What do you think?

got ants · #2 10-17-2010, 11:49 AM

What do you think?

I'm a big fan of the Gower Ramsey, and Sweet Sugars, but I never heard of the former being referred to as a Cyrtocidium. You may be correct, but I've always heard them as being just Oncidiums.

My Sweet Sugar blooms continuously. Before the old spikes die off, new ones are coming out. Always a bit of sunshine in my backyard.

RosieC · #3 10-17-2010, 01:53 PM

My first thought was that it looks like Sweet Sugar. What's the relationship between Gower Ramsey and Sweet Sugar?

Sweet Sugar is now clasified as Gomesochilum rather than Oncidium (found that out here on OB a few days back).

Just checked and Gower Ramsey is Cyrtocidium according to the RHS.

Melissa, I love your pic, these tiny ones are really difficult to take pics of but you've made a good job.

shadytrake · #4 10-17-2010, 08:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RosieC

My first thought was that it looks like Sweet Sugar. What's the relationship between Gower Ramsey and Sweet Sugar?

Well they both have Cyrtocidium Goldiana back there so that's probably why they look so much alike.
2nd cousins

RosieC · #5 10-18-2010, 04:39 AM

I've done some checking on the RHS register and they also both have Gomesa varicosa at other points in their parantage. I had just wondered why Got Ants mentioned sweet sugar.

Anyway, both really nice. I want to get my Sweet Sugar back to health but not sure as it's pretty far gone

got ants · #6 10-18-2010, 11:02 AM

I posted that Rosie because if you put the two together, I personally couldn't tell the difference. The only thing I might say is the Sweet Sugar MIGHT be bigger. MIGHT because it could be just a matter of a particular growers conditions.

Sometimes I understand name changes like Encyclia cochleata becoming Prosthechea cochleata, as it has a more elongated psuedobulb, and the flower is definitely not an oncidium type. But why change names on two plants that are almost identical to two different lead names?

PaphMadMan · #7 10-18-2010, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by got ants

I posted that Rosie because if you put the two together, I personally couldn't tell the difference. The only thing I might say is the Sweet Sugar MIGHT be bigger. MIGHT because it could be just a matter of a particular growers conditions.

Sometimes I understand name changes like Encyclia cochleata becoming Prosthechea cochleata, as it has a more elongated psuedobulb, and the flower is definitely not an oncidium type. But why change names on two plants that are almost identical to two different lead names?

Gower Ramsey has just 3 species in its ancestry. The same 3 species in different proportions make up 93% of the ancestry of Sweet Sugar, so it is no surprise they may look almost identical.

Your confusion on the hybrid genus name is understandable because RHS is inconsistent. Oncidium varicosum is one of the 3 ancestors listed for Gower Ramsey, but the same species is listed as Gomesa varicosa in the ancestry of Sweet Sugar, resulting in different names applied to the hybrids. Perhaps they are working on updating records and haven't gotten to all of them, or perhaps they are just plain incompetent.