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The flowers of Virgen del Valle (Mormodes sinuata x Mormodes hookeri) have deep red color with darker veins and a fuzzy red lip, a characteristic passed on from its hookeri parent.
Mormodes Virgen del Valle is an orchid hybrid originated by F.Clarke in 2009. It is a cross of Morm. sinuata x Morm. hookeri. It is considered a "primary hybrid" because it is a cross between two species.
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Photo credit: INC Honor |
| Morm. Aftermath (Mark Mills x Midnight Hooker) was a breakthrough in flower color. Pretty amazing! This is top breeding for intense yellow/orange color with bold red spotting.
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Photo credit: Adam N Dagny Dreisewerd |
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Exotic Treat (sinuata x tuxtlensis) has amazing color, with bright orange-yellow flowers and bold burgundy spotting. The flowers are large and well-presented on 3-4 upright inflorescences, and this hybrid is reliably the first Mormodes to bloom each season.
Mormodes Exotic Treat is an orchid hybrid originated by Exotic Orchids in 2004. It is a cross of Morm. sinuata x Morm. tuxtlensis. It is considered a "primary hybrid" because it is a cross between two species. |
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( Morm. Virgen del Valle 'SVO Dark Horse' AM/AOS x Morm. hookeri 'Fuzz' )
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The flowers of Virgen del Valle (Mormodes sinuata x Mormodes hookeri) have deep red color with darker veins and a fuzzy red lip, a characteristic passed on from its hookeri parent. Here we have crossed Morm. hookeri 'Fuzz,' which has a very dark red flower with a textured lip reminiscent of black velvet, back on to Virgen del Valle. These are going to have deep red flowers with dark fuzzy lips, some nearly black. This cross will create new opportunities for never-before-seen flower colors and shapes in Mormodes. (Description and photo credits: Fred Clarke of Sunset Valley Orchids)
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Exotic Treat (sinuata x tuxtlensis) has amazing color, with bright orange-yellow flowers and bold burgundy spotting. The flowers are large and well-presented on 3-4 upright inflorescences, and this hybrid is reliably the first Mormodes to bloom each season. Morm. Aftermath (Mark Mills x Midnight Hooker) was a breakthrough in flower color. Pretty amazing! This is top breeding for intense yellow/orange color with bold red spotting. Mature bulbs will produce 2-3 upright inflorescences. (Description and photos credit - Fred Clarke of Sunset Valley Orchids) |
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( Catasetum Fong Cing 'Lonely Heart' x Clowesia Upper Echelon 'Select' )
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The grex Fong Cing (José Abalo x Orchidglade) has been outstanding, with surprisingly large and well-shaped flowers produced 15 or more on strong upright inflorescences. Upper Echelon (Clowesetum Jumbo Lace x Catasetum Orchidglade) is spectacular, with its full shape, bright yellow flowers and bold burgundy spotting. Add to that a flower longevity of 4-5 weeks and you have a great hybrid. What do we predict for this grex? This is a Clowesetum (Catasetum x Clowesia), so long flower life is expected. Plants will be standard-sized, and flower stems will be upright-arching, carrying 15 or more large yellow flowers with bold burgundy spotting. Outstanding!
Description and photos courtesy of Fred Clarke of Sunset Valley Orchids |
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( Clowesia Jem's Speckled Russ 'SVO' AM/AOS x Catasetum Dark Odyssey 'Midnight ' )
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Clowesetum crosses are known for their flower longevity and high flower count. JEM's Speckled Russ (Cl. russelliana x Ctsm. denticulatum) is one of the few hybrids made with a summer-blooming Clowesia and the small-growing species Ctsm. denticulatum. When awarded, ‘SVO’ produced three pendulous, foxtail-like inflorescences carrying 126 white flowers peppered with maroon spots. I expect that crossing this amazing Clowesetum with Dark Odyssey (Karen Armstrong x Darkness) and its large, perfectly-formed deep burgundy flowers will improve flower shape by flattening the petals and broadening the lips. blooms will be boldly spotted or blotched burgundy, and flower longevity of 4-5 weeks is expected.
Description and photos courtesy of Fred Clarke of Sunset Valley Orchids |
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( Clowesia warczewitzii 'SVO' x Catasetum tigrinum 'SVO' )
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Clowesia warczewitzii is a small-growing species with excellent flower production and presentation on leafless plants during dormancy. Ctsm. tigrinum produces impressive cascades of 20-25 white flowers spotted in light pink several times a year. This cross is a mini-Clowesetum. Expect excellent flower longevity and multiple inflorescences of fragrant white to ice green flowers cascading over the sides of the pots. Have you ever bought a plant just because of its “cute factor?” Here it is…
Description and photos courtesy of Fred Clarke of Sunset Valley Orchids |
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(Clowesia Jem's Speckled Russ 'SVO' AM/AOS x Catasetum Double Down 'XDPYL')
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JEM's Speckled Russ (Cl. russelliana x Ctsm. denticulatum) is one of the few hybrids made with a summer blooming Clowesia and the small-growing Catasetum denticulatum. When awarded, this plant carried 126 white flowers peppered with maroon spots on three pendulous, foxtail-like inflorescences. This exceptional cultivar of Double Down (Chuck Taylor x kleberianum) has flowers highlighted by a bright yellow lip and dark petals and sepals, thus the name Xtra Dark Petals Yellow Lip. This cross was made because the parental plants have a small stature and excellent floral qualities. Clowesetum is known for flower longevity and high flower count, and the Catasetum will contribute outstanding flower color. This cross will be a mini-Clowesetum, assuring significant flower life and lots of blooms with boldly spotted petals and sepals and yellow lips. This will be a home run!
Description and photos courtesy of Fred Clarke of Sunset Valley Orchids |
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Clowesetum NoID ( Clowesia russelliana 'David N.' x Catasetum tigrinum 'SVO' )
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The success of the hybrid Black Jade inspired this cross. Ctsm. tigrinum has a white flower with light pink spots and blooms 2-3 times a year with a cascade of 20-25 flowers per stem. The flowers of Cl. russelliana are lime green with darker green striping and wonderfully fragrant. Plants bloom exceptionally well, and it's not uncommon for plants to bloom with a single bulb producing 2 cascading inflorescences carrying 30-40 flowers! I have high expectations for this cross, which should have several predictable traits: high flower count, long cascading inflorescences, and excellent flower longevity. The less predictable traits are lip shape and flower color (I am hoping for white, but icy green would be nice). This has significant potential to be an exceptional hybrid! I can hardly wait to see these plants bloom.
Description and photos courtesy of Fred Clarke of Sunset Valley Orchids |
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Cl. Rebecca Northen (Grace Dunn x rosea) is a well-recognized plant and good for breeding. It is easy to grow and has beautiful, frilly pink flowers with a marvelous citrus fragrance on multiple pendent inflorescences. The flowers of Orchidglade (pileatum x expansum) 'JTM' (short for 'Jamie's Tortured Midnight') are amazing, with huge lips in dark burgundy, and the plant is free-flowering, blooming 2-3 times a year. This cross makes a Clowesetum, which will lead to excellent flower longevity. The dark color of 'JTM' will produce rose/red flower colors in the offspring, and both parents will contribute their excellent well-formed and well-rounded flower shapes. All in all, this is a great pairing.
Description and photos courtesy of Fred Clarke of Sunset Valley Orchids |
Photo Credit: Gloria Messler |
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Made by our friend Mark Margolis, I believe this is a particularly insightful hybrid. There are only a few hybrids of this type that combine Clowesias with different bloom seasons. Here the winter blooming Clowesia Grace Dunn is crossed with the early summer blooming species Clowesia dodsoniana. The flower longevity of Clowesia blooms is generally 3-5 weeks, and this is an important reason we like to use them in breeding. Grace Dunn (warczewitzii x rosea) blooms from leafless bulbs in mid-winter and carries 15+ solid pink and green lemon-scented flowers with cute frilly lips on 3-4 pendulous inflorescences. Cl. dodsoniana has light green flowers with darker green stripes and a bit of lavender suffusion on the petals. Blooms are produced in early summer, and it is common for plants to produce two inflorescences with 30 or more highly fragrant blooms! The $64 dollar question is: “will these bloom in summer and again in the early winter?” I sure hope the answer is, yes! Picture this: multiple cascading inflorescences of 20 or more, fragrant, long-lived, green flowers with green stripes in the summer and again in the winter!!!
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