Detailed introduction to the Meiban (plum-petal) variety Laotianlv of Cymbidium goeringii

Laotianlv. Also known as Tianlv Mei, Tianlu, and Tianle. Selected in Suzhou, Jiangsu around 1915. Another account says it was discovered in Yuyao, Zhejiang. The new shoots are reddish-purple; the leaves are 30-38 cm long and 1-1.2 cm wide. The leaf color is dark green, the leaf texture is relatively thick, and the leaf posture is semi-drooping. The flower scape is upright, the pedicel is purplish-red with the top segment turning green, and the bract shells are purple; the three outer petals have long stalks and rounded heads, tightly incurved edges and narrowed bases, thick petal flesh, a level (single-line) shoulder, and the five petals are separated at the base (fenke). The petals form a semi-hard dou silkworm-moth shen (nangxin), with red stripes on the inner side of the nangxin, and the lip is a ruyi tongue. Based on the rounded head, semi-hard nangxin, and ruyi tongue, "Lanhui Xiaoshi" and the Japanese orchid circles classify Laotianlv as a Meiban (plum petal).

Qing Mei. Dug in 1982 by Ye Zhiqing of Lizhu, Shaoxing, Zhejiang, at Duixi Mountain in Shengxian. The three outer petals have rounded heads and narrowed bases, a silkworm-moth shen (nangxin), and a ruyi tongue. The petal texture is substantial, the color is emerald green, the petals have green vein lines, the flower scape is tall, and the flower form is well-proportioned. The leaves are upright, the leaf width is broad, and the buds are purplish-red.

 Whether the two are the same variety is currently disputed.