What does flower diameter mean in orchid terminology?
Author: hewolf Generally speaking, the flowers of Spring Orchid (Cymbidium goeringii) and Huilan (Cymbidium faberi) are relatively larger than those of Jianlan (Cymbidium ensifolium), and the difference in flower diameter is small; moreover, the leaves of Spring Orchid and Huilan are relatively narrow, so flowers and leaves complement each other, and flower diameter is not very important in appreciation. For Jianlan, the flower diameter varies greatly among different varieties, and Jianlan leaves are relatively wide, so large leaves paired with small flowers are truly inharmonious....
Generally speaking, the flowers of Spring Orchid and Huilan are relatively larger than those of Jianlan, and the difference in flower diameter is small; moreover, the leaves of Spring Orchid and Huilan are relatively narrow, so flowers and leaves complement each other, and flower diameter is not very important in appreciation.
For Jianlan, the flower diameter varies greatly among different varieties, and Jianlan leaves are relatively wide, so large leaves paired with small flowers are truly inharmonious. Therefore, flower diameter attracts much attention in appreciation.
In Chinese orchids or Jianlan, the flower shape and flower diameter measurement generally fall into the following three situations:
1) Main and secondary petals form a triangle or an equilateral triangle
The main and secondary petals are straight, flat bamboo-leaf petals, roughly forming a triangle or an equilateral triangle. In this situation, the flower diameter is the distance between the tips of the two secondary petals, and it is the easiest to measure accurately.
At this time, the flower diameter depends on the length of the secondary petals and the degree of shoulder droop. For flowers with greatly drooping shoulders, the flower diameter cannot truly reflect their size.
2) Secondary petals curved
The ends of the main and secondary petals are cupped or curve inward; at this time, the flower diameter is the maximum distance between the two secondary petals. The flower diameter of this flower shape is not easy to measure accurately.
3) Centrally radiate shape
For some strange flowers such as peony-petal, chrysanthemum-petal, and spider-shaped types, the flower shape is roughly centrally radially symmetrical, and the flower diameter is its horizontal diameter.
Jianlan generally has mostly five flowers per scape; generally the lowest flower opens first and has the largest flower diameter, while the uppermost flower opens last and may be poorly developed, with the smallest flower diameter. Therefore, when measuring flower diameter, it is recommended to take the average flower diameter of the first three flowers to open, or to use the second flower counting from the bottom when all are open as the standard, and for 2 flowers, use the first flower counting from the bottom as the standard [Note: Thanks to the orchid friend Lanxiaoge for the suggestion].
Based on my limited experience, Jianlan flowers can be classified as large, medium, and small as follows; everyone is also welcome to discuss and advise:
1) Large flower: 3.5 cm <= flower diameter
2) Medium flower: 2.5 cm <= flower diameter < 3.5 cm
3) Small flower: flower diameter < 2.5 cm
Many orchid friends who like Jianlan decide to buy before seeing the actual flower, all based on seeing photos of the flower. Flower photos cannot reflect the true flower diameter of that flower, so after it blooms again, seeing miniature flowers can lead to some disputes.
Therefore, here I suggest that orchid friends broadly use the term "flower diameter."
I suggest that Jianlan enthusiasts, when the Jianlan in your hands blooms, measure the flower diameter and mention it when posting, so as to accumulate information and give everyone an impression.