P amabilis x P amabilis

[kinknstein]

I picked up a few discount phals at Home Depot today, and to my surprise they were actually tagged!! First time for everything I guess. In any case though, one of the phals I picked is P amabilis x P amabilis. Would this still be considered a species? Or would they consider it a hybrid? I think species still, but would love to have an expert answer. Thanks in advance

[smartie2000]

it should be a species.

amabilis seems to be the only plants that are consistantly tagged. Even at walmart the other day I saw them tagged, though the others weren't. Home Depot has many tagged phals now, which is a good thing

[kinknstein]

Thanks Fren!

[Carl Austin]

Hi Kinknstein. Your plant is still a species. There must have been a wholesaler sale on these plants because I saw some in Wal Mart too.

Carl

[edwardwang]

Well, this is a big problem.
P. amabilis has a wide habitat in SEA, this is the reason why it has so complicated variety.
But if you cross many variants together, it will lose its original appearace.
It is still a speies, but not the original type.
I am a mania for this species.

http://www.orchidboard.com/community...aphrodite.html

[orchideric]

Odds re exceedingly good that the plants are all Phal. aphrodite subsp. formosana which the Taiwanese persist in calling P. amabilis. It is the only large-flowered species that is mass produced - and has been for +/- 15 yeaars.

Hope that helps, Eric

[kinknstein]

Thanks for all the replies everyone. That is an interesting point you bring up Eric, I will have to do some comparisons with IOSPE photos and the plant that I have. Just having a quick look at IOSPE and the one I picked definitely resembles aphrodite based on the overall shape. Thanks all, knew I could find the info on the OB!!

[edwardwang]

Hi, kinknstein,
I

[edwardwang]

Hi, kinknstein,
If you are interested with this species, I can show you some of my collection later. Then you will find how huge differece in this variety.
P. aphrodite and P. amabilis are different, but they are really hard to identify, unless you have checked hunderds of these variants.
According to the research, P aphrodite was the ancester of this group in Luzon, Philippines, Millions years ago one of this brach develop up to the north, and became the P. aphrodite var. formosa. the other down to the south became the P. amabilis.
The name of these variants has been a long history of argument among the botanists. That is a intersting issue to study.

[kinknstein]

That would be great edward. I will try and upload some pics later, the flowers are not very large, only about 1 1/2 - 2" across.