![]() ![]() Once mature, the flowers have a lovely fragrance. ![]() The color on these flowers… well, WOW is all I can say. It gets tough to follow the lineage after a while. This is a “compound hybrid” meaning that at least one of the parents is a hybrid itself. Well, if you can cross two species why not cross some hybrids with species? No problem. Rhyncorides x Aerides = Rhyncorides Bangkok Sunset “M” Sadly, it is not fragrant (at least mine are not). Very delicate-looking flowers held upright on tall spikes. From a distance, it’s apricot, but up close you can see that it’s a light orange with an overlay of pink. The crop produced from open-pollinated seed harvested from a single-cross hybrid will not be as productive as the original single cross. This is the basis of the hybrid corn seed industry. I wish the color came through better on this little gem. When a single-cross hybrid is allowed to open-pollinate (as happens in a farmer’s field), approximately half the hybrid vigor is lost. Neofinetia x Ascocentrum = Ascofinetia: “Twinkle” An added benefit is that it will rebloom within a given year! The flowers are rounder than a Neo but carry Neo’s intoxicating scent. Like all the hybrids I’m featuring today, Lou has a Vanda-like appearance. Neofinetia x Rhyncostylis = Neostylis: Lou Sneary “Bluebird” Again, it’s a matter of the compatibility of their chromosomes, among other things. Can you hybridize any two plants? Sadly, no. And THAT is the reason orchid enthusiasts love to hybridize! We want the compact nature and scent of Neos with the color of an Ascocentrum, for example. The other result is the creation of a unique organism (or bunch of organisms) that has characteristics of both parents. Hybrid vigor can occur when different plant lines are bred together and the hybrid is a much stronger plant. Plants tend to be much better able to hybridize than animals, though, and in the process we can see a phenomenon known as “hybrid vigor” which means that the hybrid offspring is bigger or in some way healthier than either parent. Generally, Mother Nature disapproves of hybrids–species that are dissimilar genetically may be able to exchange gametes (eggs and sperm), but often they will not produce viable offspring. increased vitality and other favorable qualities arising from crossbreeding genetically different plants or animals. ![]()
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