Who can explain flower "Crippling" to me???

[emmajs243]

Hey guys....I have been looking for a high quality C. dowiana for awhile now...There is so much variation in flowers forms so I decided to go read the judging guidelines by AOS to make sure I am aware of any issues with the species....Sure enough, I found that "flower crippling" is one of the most common issues with this species and yellow Cattleyas in general due to this species.

I think I have a VERY slight idea of what it looks like but I don't think I quite understand how it happens...I know this isn't completely understood either but can anyone somewhat help me out on grasping the concept?

I just don't know is this something that is resulted due to environment and is completely variable from year to year for a single plant or is it something more genetic where if a plant possesses flower crippling already, it most likely always will?

If anyone can provide a good photo example of flower crippling that also probably would be helpful too because I won't lie, I am basically guessing...

Thank you!!

[SouthPark]

I haven't encountered that term 'flower crippling' before. Have you got a weblink Emma? Thanks!!

[Ray]

I think it simply means that the conformation is bad compared to the ideal.

Crippling can be genetic, environmental, cultural, or chemically induced.

[SouthPark]

I wonder if it is a widely-used terminology in the area of orchid growing. It does sound like it means some kind of obvious deformation relative to what is considered normal...... eg. due to mutation, genetic anomaly, or something else.

As for formal studies done on individual orchid plants showing very significant flower variations (shape, colour, lip fringe pattern, etc) among own flowers, or from year to year ----- it will be interesting to see whether such studies have been done ----- just to get an idea of what sort of variation there can be.

Also, it will also be interesting to see if any extensive formal studies have been done on first generation mericlones from a single plant...... assuming no mutation occurred, then see if non-mutated mericlones can then develop (for example) significantly different lip shape or lip-fringe pattern - when compared with the original plant.

Now.... as for Dowiana, which is a species ----- I'm not sure if a single Dowiana individual plant exhibits significant variation in flower shape (eg. lip fringe pattern etc) in a single plant. If it does actually occur, then it will certainly be nice to learn about and understand the mechanisms behind it.

[emmajs243]

Ray & SouthPark to the rescue!!! Here is the link for how the AOS briefly discusses it....Look on the first page, under "HYBRIDIZING" and then have a few sentenances about it.

http://www.aos.org/AOS/media/Content...eyas_Word_.pdf

I also found this blog where it isn't discussed in a little further detail....5th paragraph down!

Half a pound of treacle: 2012

That then lead me to an article by Ron Midgett however I couldn't get the link to open....since it was published in an AOS journal, shouldn't I be able to see look up the article online as a member now???

I know it sometimes is only the..."irregular opening of a petal to a extreme to the polliinous looking growths on the margins of petals and sepals"....Thank you AOS judging standards link, or the first link attached!

I just couldn't quite fully understand this statement!

But I do believe Ray is right that it can be various reasons. I found another article for winter checklist warning of mealybugs ability to cause "flower crippling" too. So putting all these together, I think it is definitely a variable thing and C. dowiana is simply the most prone to it and is capable of passing that down in its genetics. I also know age is a factor and it increases in severity as the plant ages.

Lots of information, jut couldn't quite make sense of it all!!!! I really need to read Ron Midgetts article!

[SouthPark]

Thanks Emma for posting those links! In the way that the judging book describes it --- it definitely appears to mean cases of the flower sometimes being malformed. Maybe not necessarily meaning some regular new feature (regularly seen in other plants) appearing - such as lip fringe showing serrations in the edges, while other flowers having no serrations. It sounds like a so-far not-yet-understood thing in terms of understanding what's happening under the hood with this observed trait in Dowiana ----- some kind of random flower development impairment - noticed as malformation.

[emmajs243]

So strange! I guess it has been a "plague" to yellow Cattleyas until fairly recently...It does seem to be pretty misunderstood and I do belief that the proneness of this trait is obviously genetic, what makes the flowers do this however, or "triggers" the trait was kinda what I was curious about. Unfortunately, it does seem to be really rather unknown! I guess this is one mystery I will have to accept not understanding!

Thank you both though for your help and point of views! It does make MORE sense at least!!

[isurus79]

Crippling in Cattleyas is genetic. Its a thickening of the distal ends of the petals as the plant attempts to create a stamen at these locations. This condition gets worse as the plant ages and the plant is often able to actually create these structures.

It is thought that the crippling issue came from Cattleya dowiana 'Rosita' when it was crossed with Cattleya bicolor to create C. Iris. The limited genetic pool to draw from when creating yellow hybrids meant that C. Iris was in the background of most yellows in the early 20th century. Rhyncholaelia digbyana is somehow able to remove the crippling gene is is considered largely responsible for current crop of crippling free yellow hybrids on the market today.

[DirtyCoconuts]

R digbayana...is there anything it CANT do?

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by DirtyCoconuts

R digbayana...is there anything it CANT do?

Ha! Yes, it can’t put out more than two flowers per spike!!