What's in a Name?
 

I'm confused; Paph moquettianum ('W.J.' x 'Big Chuck')
and Paph. sanderianum ('Penanko' x 'Wide Mouth' 'Bruno Master' x 'Penanko' 'Bruno Master' x 'A'
'Angel Hair' 'Penan') they are both offered as a species, but the name appears as if it's a cross to me, as are many other species that I look at. I understand a variety version. And Hybrids, but what is in the name of a species?:scratchhead:

The first one is a species...

Genus species 'clonal name' is the pattern. Genus is always first (Paphiopedilium or Paph - sometimes optional if everybody knows you are talking about a paph). It is capitalized. Species is second, it should always be lower case. The entire binomial epithet should be underlined or italicized too, but nobody seems to do that except in formal publications now. A clonal name is in quotes, and denotes a particular individual plant.

So the first one is Paph. moquettianum 'W.J' x Paph. moquettianum 'Chuck'. What you see is pretty standard notation that lets you avoid writing the genus and species twice.

I don't understand the sanderianum... A plant can only have two parents. That is a lot of clones in that set of parentheses.

Marty, how do you turn off the glossary? I'm not fond of it autocorrecting 'species' all the time... :fight

I got both names form this website The Gore Orchid Conservatory - Paph and Phrag Orchid Species Specialists - For Sale! see if it makes sense to you. Thanks for the lesson, I did not know that was a 'clone' name, thanks much.