Lc Canhamiana semi-alba & SLC Ann Komine 'Breathless'
 

The 1st photo is of Lc Canhamiana. I purchased it from Carter&Holmes last June. This is a primary hybrid of C. mossiae and L. purpurata. According to the Carter&Holmes catalog it was supposed to be "Very fragrant" but I have not been able to detect any fragrance.

The 2nd photo is of SLC Ann Komine 'Breathless'. It is a complex hybrid of at least half a dozen species. I purchased this from Carter&Holmes in November of 2011. It was supposed to have "Fragrance is a combination of gardenia and baby powder" acording to the C&H catalog.
I find only a faint smell of gardenia and citrus.

Sorry to hear they are not as fragrant as expected...especially since I bought an Ann Komine. Did the blooms just open?

The Ann Komine flowers opened 2 weeks ago and are now starting to senesce. The Canhamiana flowers opened 2 days ago.

They're both beautiful! I think Carter & Holmes is a very good vendor and breeder. As far as fragrance, I haven't found any vendor who I can trust when describing fragrance. Maybe fragrance is a very personal preference. I like outdoor orchid shows where I can judge the fragrance for myself.

Nice. Canhamiana is one of my favorite primaries. As to scent, I have a few 'very fragrant' orchids that I can't detect ANY scent on, so who knows.

Kim

Beautiful!

I love the canhamiana! Crosses with this in the mix really have lovely form. :)

Both really lovely!

Both are very nice. I am partial to the reds but like white with red. Even zygos can be fragrant in one flower and the one right next to it has none. I have theories but that's all they are. They work for me and that's all that matters. These are lovely.

James, I would love to know your theories. I have noticed that some bloomings of certain orchids have more fragrance than others as well and immediate temperatures/humidity have no impact. I grow fruit and grapes so I have come to understand how different factors influence the flavor of the various fruits but the orchid scents remain a mystery. My roses and other flowers always have the same lovely fragrance, even if I find a clone somewhere else.
Thank you for any suggestions you might have, James.

My best theory is that the genetic makeup of any particular orchid plays the biggest role in how fragrant an orchid flower will be. When I used to grow zygos (which I can't now for some reason) those that were very fragrant when I bought them remained that way and the ones that weren't as fragrant remained that way. I think that is the main driver. Some are just genetically more fragrant. Another factor I think is how warm it is at the time the particular orchid produces fragrance. And lastly what kind of fertilizer has been used. A healthy orchid would or should produce a better flower and hence a more fragrant flower. Just as color in an orchid can be muted or brilliant. And when I started feeding my orchids more p and k and less n when the pbulb was about half grown, it just seemed to produce a better flower or simply flowers. Before I started doing this the orchids didn't always flower and the flowers they did produce weren't as colorful or fragrant. It's only a theory. If I had the room and energy I would get say 10 catts known for fragrance like General Patton or Karen Gubler I would test these speculations with more noses.

Thank you so much for answering! I am going to guess that the phosphorous and potassium applied at the right time are what makes the difference in my case. I plan to try your suggestion. Thanks!
Genetics, it is true, makes a huge difference. I did not realize that with orchids, one could/would redo a cross and all the siblings would have the same name (such as a Zygo Louisendorf) until I bought my first awarded orchid. I had thought all Louisendorfs would be held to the same standard, would be clones of the cross of which I had read. With fruit trees, one doesn't give it much thought as they are always grafted to ensure the fruit with a certain name is the same. A Jonathan apple tree or Redskin peach will always produce just what I expect.

LC Canhamiana - 2nd years flowers.
 

This is the second annual flowering of the Canhamiana. It has 7 flowers on 2 inflorescences and this year I detect a strong pleasant fragrance.

Very nice DC. My Canhamiana just bloomed also. Very nice flowers. I haven't detected a scent yet. Yours are very nice.

Really lovely!