Neofinetia falcata Daruma 達磨

[K-Sci]

What I like to see in a green bean leaf Neo is a healthy green color on all the leaves, including the oldese ones. Leaves that are virtually blemish-free, relatively tightly spaced, and uniform in size and angle. Obviously the quality of the culture can result in a mediocre clone that looks pretty good or a top quality clone that looks terrible.

There are not many online photos of Daruma. Among them is the one I attached from New World Orchids. Though not exactly the ideal I described, it is a nice looking plant to my untrained eye.

Any opinions about the qualities of a good bean-leaf Neo, the quality of the Daruma variety, or the Daruma in the photo would be appreciated.

K-Sci

[Hakumin]

Daruma is supposed to have short, very wide, rounded leaves that can almost reach 15mm in width. The leaves should be spaced very closely together, and the leaf tips are often described as being shaped like the bow of a boat or ship (i.e. a spoon bow), especially when seen from the side.

Individuals of the original variety are also known to, rarely but occasionally, produce a random faint stripe or two, though never developing more variegation than that.

Some photos from Japanese and Korean websites:

達磨

達磨 - 富貴蘭讃歌

<2018 대한민국풍란대전> 한밭풍란회 민용기 씨 출품 '달마':난과함께

[s.kallima]

In the good bean-leaf like you describe , Jukou 寿光 is one of my favorites (glossy dark green, tightly spaced, good hold of old leaves), followed by Sengaku 尖岳 and Tengyokuho 天玉宝. I have Daruma but it is not growing as neatly as the other plants I mentioned.

[Shoreguy]

[K-Sci]

Originally Posted by Hakumin

Daruma is supposed to have short, very wide, rounded leaves that can almost reach 15mm in width.

Based on your description and the photos you linked, the Daruma I acquired last September may not be the genuine article. The leaves are not particularly wide, but it it may take a year or two before I'm sure.

Originally Posted by s.kallima

In the good bean-leaf like you describe , Jukou 寿光 is one of my favorites (glossy dark green, tightly spaced, good hold of old leaves), followed by Sengaku 尖岳 and Tengyokuho 天玉宝. I have Daruma but it is not growing as neatly as the other plants I mentioned.

Last Sunday I sold a single growth Tengyokuho 天玉宝 on ebay. I removed it from the motherplant for training purposes. For some reason Tengyokuho seems to be neglected.

I have a Sengaku 尖岳, but it is one growth with 7 leaves, and too small to characterize. I've read that Sengaku was a Tamakongo x Onami Seikai seeling, but I though Onami Seikai was sterile, so I'm not sure what to do with that.

Of my 24 bean leaf Neos, my favorite is my Suisen. The leaves are consistent in size and the collar set is as uniform as a zipper. It is also spotless. From the online pictures of Jukou, the collar set is just as tidy and tight as Suisen. They both have the clean look that comes with the green stem. From some of the photos I found, Jukou seems to hold its leaves more horizontally, which is very nice IMO. I don't think I've seen Jukou for sale, but it is now on my list of plants to look for.

Originally Posted by Shoreguy

Don't Leave Out Maizuru, Also Incl My Tengyokuho

I'm not familiar with Maizuru, but I see it listed in the 2020 Meinken rankings just above Tengyokuho. It's another one I don't think I've seen for sale.

K-Sci

[Shoreguy]

K-Sci,

I have a Suisun. One aspect not always mentioned about it because its attractive foliage gets the attention, is its flowers which are thick, creamy green colored and have short highly curled thick spurs.

I have not bloomed mine yet and am afraid of posting an internet picture of its flowers for fear of a copyright violation.

Perhaps a member has bloomed theirs and can post a picture here.

[Hakumin]

Originally Posted by K-Sci

Based on your description and the photos you linked, the Daruma I acquired last September may not be the genuine article. The leaves are not particularly wide, but it it may take a year or two before I'm sure.

Could be a badly selected seed grown individual, or it could be caused by growing conditions. Insufficient light among other issues is known to make leaves narrower and longer in certain varieties.

Originally Posted by K-Sci

Last Sunday I sold a single growth Tengyokuho 天玉宝 on ebay. I removed it from the motherplant for training purposes. For some reason Tengyokuho seems to be neglected.

Tengyokuho is one of my favorites, and I wouldn't say that it's really all that neglected. It seems pretty common among neo growers in the west.

Here's my Tengyokuho:


Overall though, I can't really say that I believe that any one bean leaf is the epitome or the best of the category. I think each variety has its own unique characteristics, and even seemingly subtle differences when seen as a small growth make big differences in a big well grown clump, giving each variety its own unique character.

Though, if you go by the meikan and the Japanese association's meikan committee's opinion...

Suisen holds the highest rank of the unvariegated bean leaf varieties in the sanbonbashira section, making it their selection for the "epitome" of the unvariegated bean leaf category. Maizuru, Tengyokuho and Seikai are also listed in the sanbonbashira, making those four the "representatives" of the unvariegated bean leaf category according to them.

Benikujaku on the other hand has the highest ranking among the unvariegated bean leaf varieties in the standard ranking section.

Originally Posted by K-Sci

I have a Sengaku 尖岳, but it is one growth with 7 leaves, and too small to characterize. I've read that Sengaku was a Tamakongo x Onami Seikai seeling, but I though Onami Seikai was sterile, so I'm not sure what to do with that.

Seikai is self-sterile because of non-functional ovaries (the pollen is fertile though). Onamiseikai is very much fertile and it has created numerous seedling mutations on top of the fact that most of the individuals you see for sale are seed grown.

Originally Posted by K-Sci

I'm not familiar with Maizuru, but I see it listed in the 2020 Meinken rankings just above Tengyokuho. It's another one I don't think I've seen for sale.

Maizuru:

Pungnan.or.kr - Maizuru Profile

Pungnan.or.kr - Awarded Maizuru

舞鶴 - 富貴蘭と戯れる日々

Personally, I'm not a huge fan of its growth habit in large clumps...

Originally Posted by Shoreguy

K-Sci,

I have a Suisun. One aspect not always mentioned about it because its attractive foliage gets the attention, is its flowers which are thick, creamy green colored and have short highly curled thick spurs.

I have not bloomed mine yet and am afraid of posting an internet picture of its flowers for fear of a copyright violation.

Perhaps a member has bloomed theirs and can post a picture here.

Suisen Flowers:

翠扇 - 富貴蘭と戯れる日々

[K-Sci]

Wow, Hakumin, your Tengyokuho is amazing and very beautifully displayed in the photo. Given how slow this variety grows, you've been growing that one for a while.

[Hakumin]

Originally Posted by K-Sci

Wow, Hakumin, your Tengyokuho is amazing and very beautifully displayed in the photo. Given how slow this variety grows, you've been growing that one for a while.

Ah...I'd only had it for 2 years at the point I took that photo.

Here's a pic of when I first got it:

[christoph0315]

really really cool, can I ask you how you manage the mounting. are you using the plastic baskets or just moss?
Thanks!