What in the World is a Grex?

[emmajs243]

South Park....I BELIEVE the pod parent is the first name listed like in your example...I feel like somewhere I have actually been told this! If nobody else weighs in and gives a definitive answer...I'll try to find where I heard this and add it in a new comment for you!

---------- Post added at 11:03 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:57 PM ----------

Oh! Here you go South Park! The link below has it explained in the very last paragraph on the first page!

https://staugorchidsociety.org/PDF/U...ySueBottom.pdf

[SouthPark]

Thanks very much emma! Really appreciated your time in conveying those excellent details about the naming convention. Very nice information.

[Ray]

Yes - just remember "ladies come first".

[Mountaineer370]

emmajs243, thank you for starting this thread! I've only been growing orchids for a few years and have often found myself thoroughly confused by the nomenclature. All of the responses and the links provided here are tremendously helpful. It's a lot to take in all at once, and I'm sure some of us (me for sure) won't remember all of it without going back and studying again and again, though. (Maybe this thread should be a sticky.)

[emmajs243]

Awwwww thanks Mountaineer!!!!!!!!!!!! My other thread I posted on this same board about nomenclature also has a bunch of very helpful links!!! Between the comments and the links....it really has the nomenclature broken down very simply! People do also cover the complicated topics BUT you can find a lot of good nomenclature info in that post too! I printed it out because I felt the EXACT same way....between that post and this post....a LOT of information to take in and some weird things to wrap your brain around! Like a grex! I am sorry it just still seems a tad strange and it's something I kinda have to work through in my mind each time I see the term!

The one thing I have learned is....orchid nomenclature....kinda insane! And trying to wrap your brain around it all in one sitting is just too much! That's why I printed out some of these links so I can just refer back to it as needed and try to really get it in my head!

And You are SO welcome SouthPark!!! See....It's not very often when I can actually ANSWER any question on here and feel confident my answer is right so I got pretty excited when I read your question and was like...."OH! I KNOW THIS ONE!!!! " lol

I had read that link before posting this post and my nomenclature post and definitely didn't understand very much of it SO thank YOU too because your question made me go back to that link and it was SO much more helpful this time because I actually knew what they were talking about!

And I'll be honest! I understand the "Sticky" concept! I would be honored to have my post be a Sticky! ....I just don't know how that happens....

---------- Post added at 06:08 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:50 PM ----------

Hey but guys! Maybe the other thread is a better spot for this question BUT I truly don't know....SO, Follow up question....what does it mean when there is the name of a species and then they have it "x sib" OR "x self"? I am guessing sib stands for sibling but...I mean....ok example! a plant listed like..."Dendrobium trantuanii x sib" OR "Cattleya bowringiana x self".

What does this mean??? And...I guess why does it even need to be specified???? If you have a plant that is a dendrobium trantuanii and you breed it with another dendrobium trantuanii that is a sibling why wouldn't you just end up with a dendrobium trantuanii? And same thing with the "x self" one. Unless my interpretation of "x sib" is wrong....

I guess...why is this important or specified even? Whether it's bred with a sib or self, wouldn't it just be a dendrobium trantuanii or cattleya bowringiana? As a buyer, when you see this, does it tell you something that I am missing?

[WaterWitchin]

Later part of your question... the follow up question. I don't have the skills to answer. I get it, but am sure someone can put it into the words I can't find. It's an excellent question.

[Ray]

Originally Posted by emmajs243

why is this important or specified even? Whether it's bred with a sib or self, wouldn't it just be a dendrobium trantuanii or cattleya bowringiana? As a buyer, when you see this, does it tell you something that I am missing?

I think that in the case of a "selfing", the breeder has seen something that might be reinforced, while in a sibling cross or an outcross, there may be positive aspects of both parents thatbthe beeder is hoping will combine. Yes, they are still "the species", but there will be a wide variety of cultivated varieties - "cultivars" - resulting from the sexual reproduction, and some might end up being "that special one".

[emmajs243]

Ahhhhh. Ok so they are in fact still considered the original species this is more just the breeder trying to influence or like you said, reinforce, certain characteristics! Basically just trying to create a higher quality plant within the species....that makes sense!

So as a buyer do you really pay that much attention to id it has been crossed by itself or a sibling? I mean...obviously the breeder knows why they chose to do it but a buyer can't tell too much from it can they?

[Ray]

Right or wrong, my take is this:

Often, when there is a selfing, you'll see the cultivar name attached - Cattleya bowringiana 'Biggie' x self - suggesting that 'Biggie' is special, and its characteristics are hoped to be reinforced in its offspring. If there is none, it may be more of a shot in the dark.

However, if there is an outcross or a sibling cross, you're increasing the potential genetic diversity, which may open whole new quality and vigor avenues than may be the case with a "selfing".

But! If the originators of the seedlings knows what they're doing (meaning you must do some homework to learn who the good ones are) you can bet they did the breeding with a purpose, whether there are cultivar names or not.

[WaterWitchin]

So similar to inbreeding and line breeding, right?