Introduction to Orchid Appreciation: A Complete Guide to Common Terms

China's terrestrial orchids have been domesticated and cultivated over a long period, producing a great many horticultural varieties. In order to categorise and distinguish them, and to reach a unified understanding, the orchid growers of earlier generations, drawing on experience, established certain conditions and standards for evaluating each part of the orchid, and thus specialised terms came into being. These terms are not botanical names; they are merely specialised expressions used in orchid growing for judging and appreciating the merits of flower forms, some focusing on colour, some on the flower stem... and so on. Thus the orchid-growing world selected a series of typical famous varieties: among Cymbidium goeringii (spring orchid), Song Mei, Ji Yuan, Long Zi, Wang Zi, Wan Zi, Xiao Da, Yingge Mei and Guiyuan Mei were taken as the old eight varieties of spring orchid; among Cymbidium faberi (Hui orchid), Cheng Mei, Guanding, Yuan Zi, Ran Zi, Da Yi Pin, Shanghai Mei, Pan Lü and Dang Zi were taken as the old eight varieties of Hui orchid. Later, Lou Mei, Cui E, Ji Pin, Qing Hua, Jiang Nan, Duan Mei, Cui Mei and Rong Mei were taken as the new eight varieties of Hui orchid. Through the respective merits of these famous varieties, people are encouraged to strive for ever greater perfection in every respect. In order to help readers become familiar with famous orchid varieties and their appreciation, and to further inherit and develop China's traditional orchid-growing enterprise, this book now sets out the traditional terms in detail below, for reference and study.

(1) Colour Although the colours of terrestrial orchids are relatively simple and plain, lacking the seductive glamour of other flowers, their quiet hues and elegant charm are hard for ordinary flowers to match. According to tradition in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions, among orchids and Hui orchids green is considered best, with tender green first, old green second, yellow-green next, and red-green still lower. For red flowers, those of a glutinous, soft hue are always the finest, while those that are dim and tinged with purple are inferior. For other types of orchid, the evaluation of colour varies from place to place.

(2) Shoulders Among the three outer petals of an orchid, the central upright petal is called the main petal, and the two petals arranged to left and right are called the side petals. The so-called "shoulders" refers specifically to the posture in which the side petals are borne: the first is horizontal, called "single-character shoulders", and is a superior form; the second, when the flower opens, has the two side petals drooping slightly, called "drooping shoulders", a rather inferior form; the third, when the flower has just fully opened, has the side petals drooping greatly, forming a triangle with the main petal, called "greatly drooping shoulders", "three-legged horse" or "character-eight frame". If this form appears, even if the petal shape and flower quality are otherwise good, because the posture of the three outer petals is so poor, it is not worth taking, and is an inferior form; the fourth has the side petals rising slightly upward, called "flying shoulders", and is a noble form.

(3) Kissing petals These are the two short petals (slightly shorter than the outer three) among the inner three petals that stand upright and outward and lean close together. The kissing petals should above all be smooth and clean; by form they can be divided into: Silkworm-moth kissing petals, shaped like a silkworm moth. These are further divided into hard and soft types, for example among spring orchids Lü Ying, Rongxiang Mei, Liangxi Mei and Yichun Xian, and among Hui orchids Da Yi Pin, Pei Xian, Dang Zi, Lou Mei, Duan Mei, Cui Mei and Qing Hua. Guanyin kissing petals (commonly called Guanyin hood), shaped like the Guanyin Bodhisattva of myth, with a hood shape at the front edge of the cap, such as Long Zi and Chun Yi Pin among spring orchids, and Lao Ran Zi among Hui orchids. Bean-shell kissing petals, with tips rather round and blunt, thick petal flesh and a hood shape, resembling the form of one end of a broad bean shell, such as Guanding among Hui orchids. Mussel-shell kissing petals, each kissing petal concave within and convex without like an empty mussel shell, such as Changshu Su and Dakui He among spring orchids, and Tai Su among Hui orchids. Scissors kissing petals, with the kissing petals shaped like scissors, such as Wentuan Su among spring orchids, and Hua Zi and Chi Tuan Zi among Hui orchids. Crab-claw kissing petals, with the middle of the back of each kissing petal raised and the tip hooded and flattened, most typically Wannian Mei among Hui orchids. Cat-ear kissing petals, with the front part of the kissing petals turned upward, shaped like cat ears, such as Fengqiao and Duo Yun among Hui orchids. Short-round kissing petals, short and round with a rather large arc on the back, such as Zheng Tong He. Fan kissing petals, short and round but with a rather small arc on the back, such as Xishen Mei among spring orchids. Chime-mouth kissing petals, which, though without a hood, have a slightly chime-mouth-like edge at the tip, such as Gai He among spring orchids.

Among the various forms of kissing petals above, the silkworm-moth kissing petals are superior, the Guanyin kissing petals are next, and the rest are inferior, though of course this must be considered together with each type of petal shape. In addition, as to the posture in which the kissing petals are borne, sometimes the two are separate from each other or partly joined, or even mixed and stuck together with the nose (column) and tongue (lip), so they can further be divided into three forms:

Five petals in separate nests The two kissing petals are separate from each other, and their bases are borne at the point where the bases of the outer three petals converge.

Split tips, joined backs The tips of the two kissing petals are separate from each other, but from the middle to the base they are joined into a single whole.

Joined shoulders, joined backs The kissing petals are joined with the nose and tongue into a block-like whole, or the tips of the kissing petals show slight traces of separation from the nose, for example Cai Mei Narcissus among spring orchids and Pan Lü among Hui orchids often show a similar form.

Of the three postures in which the kissing petals are borne above, sometimes the same variety, through the evolution of genetic factors, can have both five petals in separate nests and split tips with joined backs, but joined shoulders with joined backs is limited to only a few varieties. On the whole, the form of five petals in separate nests is the most beautiful, split tips with joined backs comes next, and joined shoulders with joined backs is the worst.