Orchid What's Its Name

[cneos]

I am passionate about every plant in my orchid collection whether it has a verifiable name or not. In the right conditions, a NoID can bloom as beautifully as one with an extensive pedigree.

A perfectly grown NoID can garner numerous 2nd and 3rd place ribbon awards at many orchid society meetings or shows, but the majority of these societies and the AOS judging system reserve their coveted 1st place ribbons and awards for identified or named plants).

It's heart-breaking to have nurtured a plant for twenty+ years, deliver it to the exhibit hall in the back of a pick-up truck, have it nominated for 'Best Specimen Plant in a Show' and judged 'in situ' by the AOS only to have it excluded from the competition because its parentage is unknown. But that is what happens to NoIDs or unidentifiable beauties.

If my comments about naming a plant something that it is not seem brusque, I apologize. I too have fallen in love at first glance with many a NoID. But as a judge in training and a part-time hybridizer, it is imperative that I know or am able to trace a plant's family tree.

The following excerpt from AOS explains why it should/might be important to you too: "New hybrids are frequently presented for judging and awarded before they are formally named. These plants are held in a provisional-award status until such time as the grower completes registration of the hybrid name. Once the application is approved, the award is then finalized and published. Every cross between two hybrids is given a name and registered with the International Registration Authority for Orchid Hybrids according to internationally established rules. These records had their inception in the hybrid list kept by the House of Sander in England in the early 1900s, and have continued to be maintained by the Royal Horticultural Society. These meticulous records enable one to trace any given orchid hybrid back to its original species' parents -- important information for selective breeders."

[Phantasm]

NOID plants can certainly win ribbons including blue ribbons in a show if they deserve them. AOS awards hybrids and species have known backgrounds. What would you call a NOID plant for the award, and how do you publish a question mark? This is the reason that species that receive CBR's or CHM's need to be identified by approved authorities prior to the award being published. There is no way to be absolutely certain about many hybrid crosses.........

[cneos]

You're right that NOIDs can win ribbons, including first place ribbons, but in the northeast region where I have exhibited my plants at shows or meetings, [B]most /B]
have adopted a rule for ribbon judging - that is, the hybrid or species MUST have a verifiable name in order for it to earn a first place ribbon.

This 'rule' generally serves as a prompt for the exhibitor to do his homework before he gets to the registration desk the second time around.

I'm curious what criteria other societies have for ribbon judging at shows or their meetings.

Thanks for your comments

[shakkai]

Just my 2 cents.... As the AOS awards, from my understanding use criteria such as 'significant improvement over parents' - if the parentage is not known, how could this plant ever win an award??

I wish (WISH) that more types of plants were more open about parentage of hybrid crosses - this is something that I have found so refreshing, informative, useful, wonderful about orchids. I hybridise daylilies, and with a few very notable exceptions, many of the hybridisers keep the parentage a secret.

I strongly believe that having such good information about parentage in the orchid world is a real asset, and has really helped in the advances seen in modern hybrids. This advances the genus as a whole and can only be a good thing.

[Phantasm]

In my experience, most of the NOID plants are grown by beginning growers and are placed in classes against other beginners. As such, they have the ability to win ribbons versus their peers including blue ribbons. The purpose of ribbon judging, in my opinion, is to encourage growers to exhibit their plants especially beginners. As a result we are much more lenient with them than more experienced growers.

I've never seen any further awards for such plants other than "best white phalaenopsis" by novice growers or something similar. They cannot compete quality wise generally with advanced and commercial growers for the best in show ribbons, and obviously don't qualify for AOS awards.

The largest problem with show registrations are misclassified plants. There are entirely too many plants that aren't even close to the proper class, and they can preclude the exhibitor from receiving awards. It's a shame if a plant is worthy but not in the proper class. If you are exhibiting and not quite sure, ask for some help to assign the proper class to your plant.