Neofinetia Seedling - Buyer Beware or Buyer Blessing?

[K-Sci]

A selfing of a wild-type Orchid will normally produce seedlings that range considerably in size, flower size and color, leaf size shape color and uniformity, the vigor, resistance to disease, and many other traits. For this reason I worry that some seller's Neofinetia offering may include seedlings from a selfing rather than meristem culture or division.

There are, for example, a lot of Houmeiden offered for sale that don't look right for various reasons. Many plants are smaller, have skinnier leaves, or leaves that don't open as wide. On others, the variegation isn't as white, appears to fade prematurely, or the white is only on the back of the leaves.

Leaving marginal variegated Neos out of the discussion, how often do you think inferior Neo clones of varieties that sell at high prices are sold without mention that it is a seedling?



K-Sci