AWZ Orchids

[katsucats]

These plants are imported from Brazil to San Diego by Ron Kaufman, and then shipped as necessary so no phytosanitary permits are needed. Their shipping frequency is less than Ecuagenera, maybe 3-4 times a year as far as I can tell. Ecuagenera plants are sort of unpredictable in size, sometimes they're medium and other times they're monster specimens. For this order at least, all my orchids from AWZ are relatively uniform. L. anceps, C. percivaliana and C. intermedia, etc., are about 5" to 8" and 4 pseudobulbs, C. amethystoglossa and C. guttata are about 12". Considering these genetics are rather rare compared to what we typically see here, the size is pretty good for the price. The shipping is rather rough though, with lots of dead roots that will probably take a while to recuperate.

I am admittedly still not so sure about Regabio tests, but I found that 2 out of 23 plants had faint CymMV lines, both L. sincorana coerulea. Ron said the nursery tests all divisions and that he "[doesn't] recall a positive result in the last ~10 years". Nevertheless, he offered me not a refund, but credit off the next purchase.

Frankly, I've heard that line a ton of times. But the tests don't lie (I hope...?). The other day, Fred of SVO told me he has "never see (sic) a positive test on plants this age", but I had a faint CymMV line on one of the Ctsm. sanguineum x tenebrosum, first time out of probably 50 plants I've bought from him. It just goes to show you can't take anything for granted.

Anyways, it remains to be seen how many of these I can save, but overall I'm satisfied with the order and looking forward to seeing how they bloom.

L. anceps (semi alba escura x vestalis 'Figment')
L. anceps veitchiana 'Andy's Choice' x SELF
C. percivaliana 'Summit-Mutant' x SELF
C. percivaliana ('Thiago' x 'Pedra Azul')
C. amethystoglossa (alba 'Vitória' x caerulea 'Vida Boa')
C. amethystoglossa aurea 'Do Daniel' x SELF
C. guttata caerulea escura 'Jamelão' x SELF
C. intermedia (sanguinea trilabelo 'Sombra' x trilabelo vinicolor 'Gomes')
L. sincorana (almost semi alba) x SELF <== most likely virused
C. guttata caerulea escura ('Everglades' x 'Cara Pálida')

[Leafmite]

Good luck with them!

[Jmoney]

I have researched false positives in detail and have contacted a number of people who virus test regularly and who are highly respected. I have heard that overloading a Rega test can possibly produce a false positive. I have not come across any actual experience of a false positive Agdia test.

(this is in response to a phal vendor in the northeast who tried to claim a positive test on one of her plants was a false positive). I have since found that virus in phals is quite rampant.

I have had a lot of issues with virus positivity with catasetinae also. Mostly the older "heirloom" cultivars and such. All seemingly asymptomatic.

[nhbeek]

Honestly that level of infection is really good. The problem with these type of shipments though is all the plants come bareroot smashed together in a box for 6,000 miles of transit, and more positives crop up months after receiving it.