Does this Cym have a name?
 

I went to my favorite cymbidium nursery this Dec. (a 2.5 hours drive) and got a few plants that came labeled:

BILLION DOLLAR BABY X (SWAMP SASHAY X JAMES TEE KIRK)

Unfortunately the nursery owner was not there when I arrived, to see if he knew what that complex name meant. So I'm left with this puzzle.

Is this some kind of hybrid without a name?
The label does show a bunch of the parentage so its weird that they came without a proper hybrid name.

Any light shed on this subject will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks and happy holidays to all!

Rodrigo

It's an unregistered hybrid so technically it doesn't have an official name. It could be that the owner did register the cros but didn't get the paper work done yet or he want to see the quality of the cross before applying. Or he doesn't bother at all.

The two names in parentheses are one parent of your cross - they make Cym. Swamp Requiem (a very strange name IMO). That crossed with Billion Dollar Baby is an unregistered hybrid.

Thanks Ron for clarifying that part of the parentage.

I was lucky enough that among the 25 cymbidiums I got (They were in really bad shape and invaded by ferns, etc.), one happened to have a weak flower spike.

And this plant produced a spike in really hot and humid climate, so probably this hybrid is very heat tolerant.

So now the spike has bloomed 3 nice flowers.

Here's the photo for illustration:
http://crseeds.com/images/rodrigo/pecosa_dorada.jpg

I looked up some photos of "Billion Dollar Baby" and they sure look alike.
What surprises me is that big lip they have.

Regards,

Rodrigo

Lovely flowers, Rodrigo.

oh wow! that's fabulous!

That's a very beautiful flower

Probably is a cross that is not registered, though I don't see much James Tee Kirk in it. The lip is rather too large so I'd pass on keeping this except that it blooms warm for you..

Hi Bob!

Yes, they seem to bloom easily which is great for us ;)

I just looked at the other plants today, and another plant seems to be spiking already, and these are 2-3 bulb juveniles :D

Our customers demand flowers, so I really do not care if they have a big lip or not.

It might not be a "Billion Dollar Baby" but if it turns out to be a "Thousand Dollar Baby", that's fine with me. ;)

Cheers,

Rodrigo

I agree with Bob on not keeping this plant, and not just because of the lip, which I personally do not object to.

It is too bad that the public only wants something in bloom and never gets the opportunity to see if the plant has any characteristics better than the parents. That falls on the grower/distributor. Just my opinion on modern breeding and trying to improve the quality of Cymbidiums. :twocents:

CL

Cym Ladye: I bought 25 plants of this cross ;)

I can understand all this rationale from the viewpoint of a purist orchid collector always striving for "perfection" (whatever that is) and using their limited space efficiently, but that is not my position.

I grow cyms for flowers. My wife, which deals with the orders, would kill me if I cull 25 plants that seem to bloom easily around here based on the criteria that the flowers have a "big lip" (or any other criteria).
Right now, she gets stressed because many times we cannot provide enough cym flowers for the florists that want them, and they do not care about lips, parentage, or any other details. As a matter of fact, I don't think many of them know what a "lip" is. ;)

Besides, the flowers look awesome to me (and others).

It is the responsibility of the Hybridizer/Producer to provide high quality proven stock to the market, I agree.
But I'm not a hybridizer or a collector of "priceless specimens"

I need to increase my plant stock as fast as possible right now, and around here I do not have much choice as far as cym suppliers. It is either get what is available, or import flasks... and wait for years from the blooms :(

Just my :twocents:

Regards to all

Rodrigo

Rodrigo,

I was not talking about show quality here but ANY cross. Every hybridizer has an agenda when making a cross, or why make it? Crosses made for the commercial market have as many requirements to consider as those for the show bench. Top of the list is color, of course. Second is high flower count.

Sadly, a much publicized push has been made in recent years to develop cymbidiums that bloom in warm climates. In my opinion, at present it has not only destroyed the quality of the cymbidium genera in general, but has lowered the public's modern expectations for any cymbidium.

There will be a time, if hybridizers cull when necessary, these warmth tolerant bloomers will improve in both color, number of flowers and eventually better form. Until then, reputable growers need to cull when applicable. When growers feel that the only requirement for sale is that the plant has a flower in warm weather, that is sad commentary on the commercial trade. :twocents:

CL