More Catt Name Changes
 

So on page 334 of the May 2008 edition of "Orchids" magazine by the AOS, they report that there is light at the end of the Cattleya name change debate!! A gentleman by the name of Casio van den Berg (Im assuming hes a Dr.) published a paper formalizing the idea that all Sophronitis (including the former Laelia species that were placed in this group) should be renamed as just Cattleya!!!:bananaslide: :cheer: Guarianthe, Caularthron and Rhyncholaelia will stay as they are but the Catt genus will become much larger and easier to understand....as it should be! Many Lc and Sc hybrids will simply become Catt hybrids and many Blc hybrids will be just Rc. I love it when simplicity becomes all the rage!!:groupwave:

Im also really surprised no one has brought this topic up yet! I bet its posted somewhere else and I just havnt seen it.:hmm Either way, Im excited!!

Oh thank God because i could never get the long names out right lol :groupwave:

Some people, it seems, are not in total agreement. I went through Krull-Smith's online catalog the other day, and did not recognize half the hybrid names. Abbreviations like Gsl., Mrr., and Thw., in front of what looks like a Cattleya hybrid, don't make any sense to me.
Oh well, I guess I'm just old-fashioned.

Kim

From what I understand, the changes havnt taken effect yet. The changes are only recommendations at this point so we can look forward to them in the future if the "orchid authorities" (whoever they are!) agree. We'll see.

I'm classifying the orchids here in Panama'. I agree it's a huge pain for most reasons, but is great for identification processes. I don't see why the added complications should cause problems for the home grower but understand the necessity from a scientific standpoint.
Maybe scientists could use the scientific part and hybrids etc. could be named for the alliance with a subnom. i.e C Anzac (SLC) that contains the genera used.
Of course there would immediately be the problem that there are SLC's, BLC's, LC's with the same name that way.

It looks like I'll have to update my labels again, if these changes will take effect.

My biggest problem with the most recent name changes (not the future one of simplifying the Catts) is that there seems to be no end to creating new genuses. At the rate that we are going at, there would be a new genus for each species! I also have the hunch that many of the new name changes are simply a way for some scientist to make a "name" for him or herself. Therefore, the name changes loose their scientific importance in favor ego driven motives. Grouping most of the Catts and Brazilian Laelias into one group seems like the first science based decision in a while, as far as our Catt genus names are concerned.

lol Thats one reason why I decided to do my "one man stand" against the name changes. I had a hunch that science would prevail over nonsense and many of the names would be changed back!!

Steve, I agree totally about 'ego driven motives'. Who decides what the new name will be? The closest example at had is the name 'Marriottara', replacing 'Blc' in some crosses. Was he staying in that hotel, or does he own stock in the company? It all seems just too arbitrary and capricious at times.

Kim

Like i've said before I won't be changing my labels any time soon , and I know a lot of folks who feel the same way ! Maybe if we all object loudly enough these scientists will think again!!