NewHorizonOrchids.com

Kuranda 'Chu Ka-wai' AM/AOS
(suave x madidum)

I am sure Andy mentioned about this plant many times. And if anyone haven't seen how nice this plant looks when fully open, here you are... This plant is getting better and better every year and I can't wait for its tetraploid version.

Hi Duy, I have seen nothing like this clone you have posted here. Being from Oz, I can't believe what I am looking at- going out on a limb here, Easily the best primary hybrid Cym posted here for a while.

I am in awe of your orchid, superbly grown, magnificently flowered and beautifully photographed - hell you have made my day with that post!!

Can you fill us in on the history of that clone, thanks.

I will admit I'm not a big fan of this particular style of bloom, but I am impressed at how well Duy has grown and captured this clone. For floriferousness, this outdoes all similar plants I've seen except for one clone of Cym. Tennis (Cricket X suave) - and in this case, it has better colouration than the Tennis clone.

Its history was all described on this Forum some time back!

I know it is streets ahead of any other Kuranda and of course the 4n's are being deflasked as I write. This orchid reminds me of how stupid most of the ANOS (anus?) people are. They fiddle-fart around yet never look for and propagate excellence in their native species and their F1 hybrids. And as for treating them with oryzalin to improve them....... that's akin to sacrilege!

Nicely bloomed! Andy, why don't we see count like this on more modern madidum hybrids? Does devonianum kill it, or do standards thrown into the mix? What's the count like on Don Wimbers? I don't recall this high...

I think it's just a little factor known as hybrid vigor!

However there are several considerations. The pictured plant would seem to have as many as 60+ blooms on some spikes. It is the plant I grew in SB at Cal-Orchid and gave to Duy last Summer in the same pot I had it in. Duy can make a count of the number of flowers on the best spike and report.

It is a popular misconception that Cym. devonianum might reduce the flower count. All the devonianums I see grown in California are miserable specimens, most people cannot keep it alive. "You know who" killed my plant of Cym. devonianum 'NH' 4n! Cym. suave, Cym. madidum, Cym Cricket etc will all come in with average flower counts in the mid-30's when grown well. So will Cym. devonianum. But there can be no explanation for Kuranda coming in at an average above 50 flowers without attributing the count to hybrid vigor as there are no other super-floriferous species or hybrids involved.

I expect the 4n Kuranda Chu Ka-wai plants to have a flower count around 40 when mature. They will be truly invaluable as this Kuranda is only very sparingly fertile. Fertility will likely be generous in the tetraploids.

Andy,

This plants has the lowest count for 56, couple spikes have more than 65 and the longest spike has 74 flowers...

OK, so hybrid vigor? Don Wimber is a first-generation madidum cross, so should also have hybrid vigor, right? Why is its count so low compared to this? To get 74 flowers on anything would be great....imagine 74 on a Paph!!

Greatest hybrid vigor is always seen when two inbred lines (species say) are crossed. Don Wimber is 50% madidum but the 4n madidum so a flower count of around 20+. The grex is 25% Cym. ensifolium, average six flowers. The other standard Cym component would likely not exceed 12 flowers on the spike, tops! That's why the Don Wimber selections I use do not normally exceed 18 flowers on the spike.

Duy, I know its history, what I meant to ask is a few words on how you are growing this hybrid so well, thanks.