Neofinetia 'Wonhyo'

[tundrabehr]

Neofinetia 'Wonhyo'. Plant is from Barampung Nursery, South Korea.

[K-Sci]

This reply is a few years late, but I'm making it anyway for the benefit of those who, like me, like to learn everything they can about the Neofinetia they own or contemplate owning. I bought one of these and liked it so much I bought another. The following, cut and pasted from my log book, is everything I've been able to learn about this variety.

"Wonhyo (Gangyo in Japanese) isn’t registered in Korea or Japan, but it is no less a spectacular and stately mameba (bean-leaf) cultivar with dark green gently arced tachiba (standing) leaves. It is very large for a bean leaf and very vigorous and strong growing; a very good introductory variety. With good culture, the leaves of Gangyo remain healthy and green on the plant for many years, with the plant becoming quite tall before becoming bare at the bottom. It branches very freely, and the leaves are tightly stacked on a broad stout stem. The lower leaves and stem develops brown-red speckles of rust, which can coalesce to cover surfaces. The flowers are borne on stems that are shorter than the Neofinetia norm, 7-8 per cluster on fully mature plants. The flowers are stocky, on the large size, have short spurs and heavy substance, and prone to facing upward. The leaves of Wonhyo in available photos often, but not always, vary in length by as much as 50% as the plant gains height. This suggests that the length is highly acquired, possibly in response to seasonal variations in temperature or sunlight, or perhaps variations in culture.

The leaf spans of the Wonhyo in the photos are 4-1/2 inches (115mm) and 4” (100mm); comparable to some standard Neofinetia. Wonhyo is the product of breeding Tamakongo and Kaiomaru.

Won Hyo (Gan Gyo in Japanese) was the name of a respected Korean Buddhist leader and philosopher-monk who lived in the 7th century."

[Shoreguy]

No surprise that N Wonhyo grows tall, having N Kaioumaru as a parent. My N Sekirei, a variety of N Kaioumaru, is growing so tall that it is getting out of hand, and becoming quite annoying.

[K-Sci]

Nice sized plant. Do you see the alternating leaf lengths on some of your tall beaners like Wonhyo in this photo?

[Shoreguy]

Originally Posted by K-Sci

Nice sized plant. Do you see the alternating leaf lengths on some of your tall beaners like Wonhyo in this photo?

Mine not totally uniform but could be do to culture and seasonal environment. A bigger issue is that the Sekirei feature of thin small white segments of variegation on leaf edges has vanished from older leaves and is not present on the newer. This is irritating as I paid several times more for it than a normal Kaioumaru.

It is my only Neo which I would characterize as tall. My Manjushage is gigantic but well proportioned so I don't view it as a tall plant. I just look at it as a reliable bloomer of nice flowers.

[K-Sci]

Originally Posted by Shoreguy

Mine not totally uniform but could be do to culture and seasonal environment. A bigger issue is that the Sekirei feature of thin small white segments of variegation on leaf edges has vanished from older leaves and is not present on the newer. This is irritating as I paid several times more for it than a normal Kaioumaru.

It is my only Neo which I would characterize as tall. My Manjushage is gigantic but well proportioned so I don't view it as a tall plant. I just look at it as a reliable bloomer of nice flowers.

There are a lot of variegated Neos offered for sale without the variegation they are known for. I recently picked up Misukage, Tenkyuden and Akogare showing only faint variegation with the hope that increased light levels would bring the patterns out. I'm hoping...

It has always worried me that so many seed grown Neos have popped up in the last decade or so, especially beaners. What do the breeders do with the inferior breeding product?

[Shoreguy]

Originally Posted by K-Sci

It has always worried me that so many seed grown Neos have popped up in the last decade or so, especially beaners. What do the breeders do with the inferior breeding product?

Maybe I am too cynical, but many breeders misrepresent and say such plants eventually variegate. You are best to purchase seedlings already showing good signs of variegation.

The N Sekirei I purchased had appropriate variegation for its variety when purchased but now I understand from further reading that it commonly losses it when it gets older. Even the new growths currently don't show the typical Sekirei variegation. Live and learn. Makes the hobby interesting and a challenging.

[K-Sci]

Cynical is warranted. There are Neo counterfeiters and a lot of Neos for sale don't match their distinguishing characteristics. By Japanese collectors' standards, if I understand correctly, a Neo that doesn't have the characteristics under the conditions where it should cannot legitimately be sold as the variety, but is instead a new morph. I just bought an Izumibotan that lacked most of the yellow coloration on the sheaths for $20, but will know by winter growing it bright and cool if it is capable. Sometimes it makes sense to take a chance.

[Shoreguy]

One reason for taking a chance is if it is a variety that is seldom available and you have been waiting years for and if the price reflects it not strongly conforming to the standard.

It is risky.

[Orchidtinkerer]

I have recently started to explore the Neofinetia Falcata's so I ordered a Falcata 'Kouhou' not really knowing much about it only that it was meant to be a pure falcata with yellow flowers.

When I received the plant I was a bit shocked to find it was twice the size of a regular neo and the roots did not look right. A neofinetia rarely has roots that spread further than the plant above, yet if you look at pictures of the kouhou you will find monster roots that are twice as thick and spread twice as far.

Something wasn't right. I researched the plant and was a bit amused to find out a Korean breeder had fooled the Japanese to think this was a pure neofinetia and sold it to them as such. Only once it was registered as a new Neofinetia variety was it discovered that it doesn't bloom at the right time and numerous other discrepancies that made them realize it is actually an Ascocentrum crossed with a falcata and most likely backcrossed to a falcata again to make it seem predominantly falcata.

I don't know how the experts could be fooled so easily when I noticed on the first day something wasn't right.

Anyway, I have heard that the 'kibana' variety is a ascocentrum hybrid but the pictures online all look like a neofinetia.

There is little info coming out of Japan regarding their varieties. Is the price tag warranted - something I am debating regarding getting a 'kibana' next.

As to the question of what happens to the millions of weak seedlings that are not part of the 10% that stand out above the rest - I have wondered myself and have no idea but would like to think that they will become just as strong - just one year later, straggling but catching up eventually. Considering most of my collection will most likely not be from the "best seedlings" in a batch, hopefully all it will mean is a longer wait.

I will be comparing mericlone cattleya hybrids to seed grown ones someday, but since I can't change out my whole collection over speculation it's all a bit theoretical to me anyway.