(Peter Pan X Cym ensifolium album 4n)

[GaryCAZ]

Lot of interest in this plant so we post it "hot off the press". At 75% ensifolium blood, this should bloom anywhere and have to admit, every flower has been used for pollen or as a potential pod. I figure even if we kill the plant, better to get the crosses as soon as possible and besides, there are more from the same cross just showing spike. This is going to be an interesting Summer.

Andy Easton

[Gary S]

Yes, nice one again, I like the shape.

Gary..

[MrCym]

You'd love the fragrance!

[Gary S]

You are making me envious.

[PreSam]

Much of Peter Pan is still intact. Hope it will go forward and make some beautiful hybrids.

[Van Deiman]

Peter Pan is at the top of my list when I am tracing parentage - it grows very well from climates of 42deg South to 30deg South, which is akin to Oregon to Baja Ca., or Connecticut to the Georgia/Florida border; Durban to Cape Town, etc.

One of the things I have recently read about Peter Pan is that it is associated with 'leaf-ticking' through the ensifolium heritage. This is something that I have not experienced, at least not to any significantly marked degree that would horrify me.

So, at this stage Peter Pan parentage is still on my list as a favourite. I am curious as to why Peter Pan is strong across a range of temperature variations.

I see that the range of habitat for ensifolium is found across a New Guinea to Cambodia/ China to the Phillipines - broad and expansive.

So did a location or a sanitisation treatment induce leaf ticking or is it a green house created problem similar to what I, mistakenly or otherwise, believe was created via density planting which incurred mosaic virus in Alexander Westonbirt?

Has ploidy changed the susceptibility to leaf ticking?

[MrCym]

I have no idea about the comment on "density planting"?? I'm sure Alexanderi 'Westonbirt' became infected with Cymbidium Mosaic Virus in the good old-fashioned way, with a dirty knife or pot or shears.

The ticking seems to be concentrated in hybrids where a strongly-colored pumilum hybrid is the other parent or occasionally a strongly colored standard Cym.

[Gary S]

Can someone explain what 'leaf ticking' is please?

Gary..

[MrCym]

It is the fine black spots seen on the leaf bases where they enclose the pseudobulb and under the leaves too. There have been articles written on it. I hate the term "ensifolium crud" that floats around. Once the affected plants are culled, the clean ones seem to not pass it on or at least that has been my experience. I first recollect seeing it in the cross Heavenly Scents which was Peter Pan X tracyanum, back in the 1970's. It still pops up occasionally because we still use Peter Pan in hybridizing. I do have one parent that has it very slightly, Peter Reddaway 'NH' but it is such a good late Summer green that I continue to use it. I just watch closely for any marked progeny and dump them immediately. There aren't many. Some folk used to claim that it was a physiological reaction to an inorganic nitrogen source but I have seen Peter Pan hybrids grown in Japan with organic fertilizer and they still showed ticking.

[Nigel]

Mr. Cym.
re Tracey Reddaway.
It often pops up in your plants. With nothing to suggest warmth tolerance in the pedigree, does it have some qualities you like?
I understand that you breed for all markets, but I have noticed it frequently in the pedigree of your w/t lines.