Introduction and Appreciation of the Chunlan Variety Zishou Jinzhang

Among Chunlan there are also records of Jinlan. In "A Brief History of Orchids and Huilan," the Chunlan plum-petal variety "Zishou Jinzhang" is described: "The three petals have large heads and fine tapering, tight edges, separated sections with semi-hard hooded holding petals, a small round lip, level shoulders, and a long stem. What is remarkable is that it is golden yellow like rapeseed flowers, while the stem is red like vermilion lacquer. Truly a rare variety, also called Jinlan. Recently only the Jiufeng Pavilion has it." No illustration. In its notes, "A Brief History of Orchids and Huilan" says: "The Zishou Jinzhang variety, with its vermilion stem and yellow flower, is a rare specimen among spring plum-petal orchids, and was exclusively mine. In the spring of the guimao year of the Guangxu reign (1903), the orchid trader Huayang Seng obtained a new huilan flower shoot of exceptional quality. I divided three cylinders of grass and exchanged them with him. In twenty years, the grass I kept has never bloomed. As to whether it still exists, with so many pots I have no way to identify it, and it is probably gone. For no Chunlan has ever been known to go twenty years without blooming, and I regret it deeply. Unexpectedly last winter, I unintentionally traded back a pot, with three cylinders of grass, and was overjoyed. From this I know that when one obtains a fine orchid or huilan variety, if there truly are fellow enthusiasts, one should share it to spread it widely. If one guards it too jealously and refuses to give it to others, and human affairs and heaven's timing are hard to predict, then if it should wither, not only would one never again feast one's eyes on it, but one would have let heaven and earth bring forth this treasure in vain!" Whether this variety still survives is currently quite disputed. I once saw the original color-painted glass negative of "Zishou Jinzhang" at the home of Mr. Tang, a collector of ancient orchid manuals in Shanghai. On it was Mr. Wu Enyuan's handwriting: "Zishou Jinzhang: also called Jinlan, photographed by Chunbai in the spring of the jiazi year (1924)," and on the outer protective cover were written the two characters "Jinlan." This flower's outer three petals have level shoulders, long feet with tapering roots, round heads, semi-hard hooded holding petals, a small round lip, golden yellow flower color, and a crimson-red flower stem. Radiantly splendid, it is a joy to admire endlessly.