A further musing......

[MrCym]

We are very fortunate that the RHS orchid registrations are today handled by a wonderful man, Julian Shaw. He is the essence of politeness and efficiency, a delight to work with. I mention this to illustrate that in the past, some horribly inaccurate Cym registrations have occurred One of the worst is the 1944 registration by one, Len Brummitt. This dopey Pom registered a Cym named for his wife, Jean Brummitt that supposedly was Cym. eburneum X Cym. devonianum! Clearly the correct parentage was Cym. lowianum X Cym. devonianum which is named Langleyense.

I mention this because tonight I want to talk about a genuine Cym eburneum hybrid, Cym Keshab Pradhan 4n (Mem. Amelia Earhart X Cym. eburneum). We did offer the cross but fortunately few bought any and NHO is now in the position of sharing with Ruiter Orchids, almost the entire breeding stock from the grex. I am already happy to predict that this hybrid is going to change the Cym pot plant world! Of course I deliberately took pollen off our 4n Cym. eburneum 'Geyserland' 4n and put in on Mem. Amelia Earhart to gain the advantage of mitochondrial DNA in the pod parent. So far, the longest spiked seedling, a pale green, carries 11 blooms. Astonishing really. But the petite plant habit and floriferousness in terms of spikes per mature bulb is remarkable. I regularly see three and occasionally four. I won the race to bloom the first Keshab Pradhan hybrid with the advantage of a twelve month blooming season in Colombia, Bert's are in spike, but most importantly, our first seedling is blooming on the second bulb and carries two spikes. Now we actually sold plants of this cross bare root to Europe with spikes on the first bulb but I imagine they didn't leave them to bloom out. I'm relaxed about competition because we're a generation ahead and you can be sure there's some exciting crosses in the pipeline. In fact I was prepping plugs for the EU today and one cross had a fat spike on its first bulb so it will stay here to give me a first sight of a KP crossing with a strong red!

We used a genuine Indian Cym. eburneum 4n that was derived from a Colchicine-treated selfing and named the the result for my dear friend Keshab Pradhan who was such a generous host when I visited India. I believe we won Best Specimen Cymbidium with it at the Santa Barbara Show many moons ago and I only wish I had been more daring and used it sooner with traditional Cym hybrids. But you can be sure Ruiter and Easton have some exciting and different Keshab Pradhan hybrids in abundance for 2024 and beyond!

[MrCym]

24 hits overnight! I am encouraged that serious Cym folk are onboard. There'll be plenty to come....

[MrCym]

Now over 60 views.... I'm very happy to report.