What is the difference between official-type and novelty-type? Explained in one article

Author: Siming Orchid

From "Jinxiang Xuyu" - On "Narcissus" Thanks to Zhou Jianjun for taking the trouble to upload the two ancient manuals "Lan Hui Tongxin Lu" and "Lan Hui Xiaoshi", enabling us to read these "complete editions" in detail. Great joy!

In the "Portraits of Ten Lost Famous Huilan" in both books, there is a variety called "Chen Xiusu". The postscript of "Lan Hui Tongxin Lu" says: "Originated in Jiaxing. It is an official-type narcissus; iron-wire leaves, bud shape slightly long, small and flat-cut; soft pouch palatal lobes, large spread tongue, lotus-form bamboo petals, also an upper-grade plain huilan. This variety was only possessed by the Chen family, and the line was lost in the early Daoguang period." The book calls "Chen Xiusu" both "official-type narcissus" and "lotus-form bamboo petals" - why? Because "official-type narcissus" does not mean "official-type narcissus petal" - a single character's difference makes a great distinction. I have often said: the ancients originally had no "narcissus petal" petal type. This is clear proof! Otherwise, how could there be a flower that belongs to both bamboo petals and narcissus petals? Moreover, in merely forty-odd characters, how could Mr. Jilou be so confused as to contradict himself?

Everyone thinks the names lotus and plum petal are quite vivid, yet the so-called "narcissus petal" type is far removed from the appearance of the narcissus flower. The selected flowers mostly do not have petals as short and broad as narcissus sepals, and countless analogies still miss the point. The ancients' use of "narcissus" did not refer to how the outer petals looked, but to the "form" in which the inner and outer whorls of the flower are separated! As is well known, lotus and plum sepals and petals grow adjacent to each other and are hard to distinguish; but lan and hui are similar to the narcissus, with sepals and petals growing separately, showing a clear distinction between inner and outer whorls - namely the inner palatal lobes and outer petals. The ancients, our predecessors in orchid growing, seeing among lan and hui those with outer petals resembling the lotus, called them "lotus"; those with outer petals round and close to plum petals, they called "round petals" or "plum petals"; and those surpassing bamboo-leaf, chicken-foot, and line types yet not reaching lotus or plum could also enter the ranks, called "transcendent petals". These all discuss petals. But lan and hui after all are not lotus or plum - their forms differ. So they borrowed the name "narcissus" to designate their form, and also called it "petal" as well as "form", combining into "petal-form". Thus there are names like "lotus-form narcissus", "plum-form narcissus", "transcendent-petal narcissus" - borrowing the forms of two flowers to interlock and describe the appearance of lan and hui. Lotus and plum represent the short, broad outer-whorl form of superior lan and hui; narcissus represents the tightly clasped inner-whorl posture of superior lan and hui. This is the ancients' extremely exquisite theory!

When the ancients judged orchids, they especially valued the inner whorl. In selecting orchids one must first look at "chong" (the inner court form) and "su" (the inner court color). Chong is the form of the central palace; su is the color of the central palace. Attaining either qualifies as an entry-grade flower, so one called "chong" must be "narcissus". "Lan Yan Shulue" states that among narcissus those with white tips are called "novelty-type" and those without white tips are called "official-type", both being upper grades. Thus "narcissus" is not necessarily without white tips. For example, Zheng Tonghe, the so-called "lotus petal", should actually be called "lotus flower" - it is a lotus-form narcissus of official type. As for "Diyi Xiang Biji" saying narcissus must have a pouch, that specifically refers to "novelty-type narcissus"! "Lan Hui Tongxin Lu" records: "Narcissus is judged solely by the palatal lobes forming a pouch; below plum and lotus, chicken-foot and line types all have this. There is also official-type narcissus, with short palatal lobes, shallow pouch, and faint white edges. In general, value is judged by the outer three petals; if the petals are broad with raised corners, they are not esteemed." Thus a novelty-type with chicken-foot or line outer three petals can also be called "narcissus", though of lower grade. Therefore in the world there should be "bamboo-petal narcissus" and "chicken-foot narcissus", but never "bamboo-leaf narcissus petal" or "chicken-foot narcissus petal". Therefore "lotus-form bamboo-petal narcissus" such as Chen Xiusu and Jin'ao Su - by petal alone they would not qualify, and only because they are plain (su) do they qualify - yet there is absolutely no reason to call them "lotus-form bamboo-leaf narcissus petal"! This distinction we must carefully examine.

Furthermore, the ancients had the saying that five petals with separated sockets are superior, split-head-closed-back is next, and joined-shoulder-closed-back is inferior - this mostly applies to the novelty-type category. There are those surpassing joined-shoulder-closed-back, which is the extreme of the novelty-type category, such as today's "Cui Tao"; while five petals with separated sockets like "soft silkmoth palatal lobes" is the beginning of the novelty-type category. Let me try to deduce several palatal postures of the official-type and novelty-type categories, using the yin-yang and civil-martial ways as analogy: official-type is yin, novelty-type is yang. Then "open skylight" - inner and outer whorls undivided, no longer narcissus - is neither yin nor yang, so not worth taking. The balance of yin and yang is called "yuan"; if "yuan" generates yin it enters official-type, if "yuan" generates yang it enters novelty-type. The most yin and most civil is "cat-ear palatal lobes", the extreme of the official-type category; next are "scissors palatal lobes", "palm-leaf-fan palatal lobes", "clam-shell palatal lobes", "chime-mouth palatal lobes", "short-round palatal lobes" and so on, all being states of the official-type category evolving toward "yuan", from no pouch turning into having pouch, all measured by the degree of resemblance to the clasped inner-whorl form of the narcissus flower, all going from the extreme of yin to the beginning of yin. The beginning of yang, i.e. the beginning of novelty-type, is when "yuan" slightly increases yang. Within the novelty-type category, "soft silkmoth palatal lobes", "Guanyin palatal lobes", "bean-shell palatal lobes", "crab-claw palatal lobes", "hard silkmoth palatal lobes", "fist palatal lobes" and so on go from the beginning of yang to the extreme of yang, from deep pouch with faint white tips to fully white tips. Thus "fist palatal lobes" is the most yang and most martial. There are also several tongue shapes, all serving as their complements. I once listed narcissus palatal postures from "the extreme of official-type" to "the extreme of novelty-type", showing that the ancients' judgments of what is superior and what is inferior are all based on the doctrine of the mean. If a flower is of upper grade, it is invariably between "the beginning of official-type" and "the beginning of novelty-type"! For at this point the central palace is round and broad, and the outer petals are most upright. If one seeks the two extremes, the petals all fly up at the corners, and though the petals be broad they are not esteemed. I think the most exquisite flower should be between official-type and novelty-type, at the moment of about-to-change-but-not-yet-changed - truly something that can only be grasped in the mind! Does such a flower exist in the world? "Lan Hui Tongxin Lu" calls "Gaizi" "neither plum nor narcissus" - why? Because it is "yuan"! Calling it not narcissus means it is not novelty-type; calling it not plum petal means its petals are extremely round yet it is not novelty-type. Looking at the portrait left by Mr. Jilou, its palatal lobes are short and round, exactly at the moment of about-to-change-but-not-yet-changed, yin and yang generating each other, civil and martial both complete. Thus this flower does not fit the common standard yet is called "the first of a thousand ages' famous petals". It also says: "In general, value is judged by the outer three petals." Official-type narcissus like Xishen also has this appearance - its outer three petals like plum, its palm-leaf-fan palatal lobes yet with faint white tips - it should be upper grade. This is "official-type plum-form narcissus". How could there be any dispute of "plum petal" versus "narcissus petal"?

In summary, today's calling "narcissus" as "narcissus petal", and saying "narcissus petal" must have pouch and white tips and so on - is this not absurd?! This is all taking words out of context. Today people also say the palatal lobes of both "plum petal" and "narcissus petal" have pouches, to the point that the complex subtleties cannot be distinguished; then they further say "plum petal" must have hard palatal lobes and small non-drooping tongue, and "narcissus petal" must have soft palatal lobes and large drooping tongue. How could they know the ancients precisely regarded soft palatal lobes and large tongue as superior! A large tongue like Liu Hai's is precisely a drooping tongue posture, yet it was ranked upper grade, while the dragon-swallow tongue ranked lower. Thus today people only select what Xu Jilou called "sick plum", yet list all the finest flowers under the so-called "narcissus petal" category! I once said: Without pouch, round petals also form plum; Official-type and novelty-type each have their form. Form is divided by presence or absence of pouch; Petals are named lotus, round, transcendent. Narcissus is not a petal; The distinction lies in the palatal lobes. Yet in today's orchid world, the "new petal-type theory" of "lotus petal, plum petal, narcissus petal" is flourishing. One who investigates ancient texts to restore the ancients' original meaning of "narcissus" cannot avoid becoming heresy, and is even suspected of tampering with traditional petal-type theory! Regardless of who wishes to defend tradition, the orchid sea is vast - is there still anyone willing to listen to such stale words? Very well, let me speak to those who wish to listen, let those who wish to curse curse, let those who wish to sneer sneer! Listening, cursing, sneering - everyone gets what they like. Is that not a joy? 

 Appendix: This discussion is based on "Lan Hui Tongxin Lu", the book that synthesizes traditional petal-type theory. It may conflict considerably with other ancient orchid manuals, because the Jiangsu-Zhejiang petal-type theory over its more than two hundred years of history has always advanced with the times and varied by region, and the concept of "narcissus" also differed. The Jiangsu-Zhejiang petal-type theory began with Bao Qiyun of Anhui's "Yilan Zaji" in the early Qing dynasty - this is commonly acknowledged. Its text records: "If the petals are short and the head round, it is plum petal; slightly pointed, it is narcissus petal; slightly longer than narcissus with broad head, it is lotus petal; broad both above and below, it is transcendent petal - all are upper grades." I take this sentence to mean "If the petals are short and the head round, it is plum petal; (if the petals are short and) slightly pointed, it is narcissus petal." That is, here "narcissus petal" truly is a petal shape approximating the narcissus flower's petals! Only thus could the lotus petal be "slightly longer than narcissus". At that time and place, only petals were discussed regardless of the central palace, and it was said plum, lotus, narcissus, and transcendent petals are all upper grades. By the first year of Jiaqing, Zhu Kerou of Suzhou's "Diyi Xiang Biji" records: "Narcissus: the petals must be thick and large, clean without veins; shoulders and tongue large and round; palatal lobes like silkmoth, like bean-pod; flower foot slender and tall; hook-thorns complete; sealed edges clear; white tips heavy - then it is upper grade. Lotus: petals thick and with pouch, palatal lobes round, root tapered fine - this is true lotus petal; otherwise though the petals be very broad, one must not confuse the name. True transcendent petal: petals thick, pouch deep, root tapered extremely fine, shaped like a spoon (chao)." It also says: "Plum petal is like plum; round petal is not pointed; lotus must first be judged by root taper; thick petals are valued; narcissus is judged solely by palatal lobes with white tips" and "Hui flower palatal lobes short and with pouch, regardless of the outer three petals' breadth or narrowness, is at once named narcissus; small garment-shell petals pointed, all with inverted hooks; large petals with sealed edges; palatal lobes with white tips, like Guanyin's pouch; outer petals short and broad like narcissus - this is true narcissus." Moreover, in ranking grades, narcissus is placed before lotus petal and plum petal, showing that at that time and place "narcissus" was a novelty-type with extremely short, broad outer petals! While lotus petal and plum petal were both official-type. So the so-called "true narcissus" approximates the later "plum petal"; the "plum petal" of that time and place was merely official-type round petal! Later, Yuan Shijun of Suzhou local produced "Lan Yan Shulue", already eighty years on, recording: "Plum petal and narcissus are judged by palatal lobes with white tips - named novelty-type; without white tips it is not so; separated sockets not joined back; soft like Guanyin pouch and deep is excellent; shallow is next; chicken-bean-shell piece likewise. Large petals not raised and head round is plum; pointed is narcissus; five petals valued for being veinless and clean, shape handsome, shoulders level, tongue large drooping and round; large petal edges must be tight, like pouch reaching its foot. Plum should be round, narcissus should have tapered root - then it is upper grade." This shows that by this time and place there was already clearly the theory of official-type and novelty-type, and plum petal had become novelty-type. It also says: "Lotus: petals thick and pointed, foot short with tapered root, palatal lobes short scissors are next, like clam-shell is excellent - this is true lotus flower. Round petal: round head, broad and short, no root taper; transcendent petal: shaped like a spoon." This shows lotus flower and round petal are official-type, and their outer petal forms respectively correspond to the novelty-type's narcissus and plum petal - that is, the petals of both lotus flower and narcissus are "pointed" and "root-tapered"; the petals of both round petal and plum petal are "round-headed" and "not root-tapered". Thus lotus flower and narcissus, round petal and plum petal, are merely the distinction of official-type versus novelty-type. If only petals are discussed, then the two pairs are alike! This differs again from Zhu's theory. Eleven years later, Xu Jilou of Jiaxing produced "Lan Hui Tongxin Lu", which discusses flowers: "Among flowers, lotus-form narcissus is foremost, plum-form narcissus next, official-type narcissus next again." On petals: "Lotus is the finest, round petal is upper grade, transcendent petal is lower grade; besides these, bamboo and willow and other petals do not enter the ranks - like chicken-foot and line types, they are taken only for fragrance." I think it is not an overstatement to regard this theory as the highest peak of Chinese orchid petal-type theory. The so-called "lotus-form narcissus" roughly corresponds to Yuan Shijun's "narcissus"; "plum-form narcissus" roughly corresponds to Yuan Shijun's "plum petal"; "official-type narcissus" roughly encompasses Yuan Shijun's "lotus flower", "round petal", and "transcendent petal". This shows that from Bao Qiyun, Zhu Kerou, Yuan Shijun to Xu Jilou, Chinese orchid petal-type theory, though sharing one lineage, was by no means unchanging! Why do I say "at that time and place"? Because times differ and regions differ - who can know that things of the same name described must all be the same? Xu Jilou's naming of "so-and-so narcissus" designates both petal form and palatal form, encompassing both inner and outer - this is truly scientific classification! While other orchid manuals' naming of "so-and-so petal" refers to the outer three petals - how can that represent the whole flower's appearance? Petal-type means the petals and the form of lan and hui! So I humbly believe "petal-type theory" was only completed at this point, while predecessors' theories were all not yet fully refined. Xu Jilou's concept of "narcissus" must differ from each of Yuan, Zhu, and Bao before him, and today's "narcissus petal" in the "new petal-type theory", though its name also has some basis, again differs from all the above ancients' original meanings! When we read predecessors' books, we should take what is incisive, recognize what is improper, discern the threads of traditional culture amid the various schools' divergent views, and return and integrate them - then we will not be confused.