What are the common species and main horticultural varieties of orchids in our country?

There are many kinds of terrestrial orchids in our country. Through long-term introduction and cultivation, people have gradually selected and bred many varieties with certain ornamental value. According to the different flowering seasons, people call those that bloom in February and March with one stem and one flower Chunlan (spring orchid); those with one stem and several flowers in mid-spring are called Huilan; those that bloom in June and July with one stem and multiple flowers are called Xialan; those that bloom in August, September and October with one stem and multiple flowers are called Qiulan; those with one stem and multiple flowers in November and December are called Hanlan; those that bloom with one stem and multiple flowers in the first lunar month are called Baosuilan. In traditional Chinese orchid culture, Chunlan and Huilan are further classified according to petal shape and bract color, while the other types have no strict distinction of petal types. The characteristics and main horticultural varieties of each type are described below:

(1) Chunlan

1. Meiban (plum petal) The three outer petals are short and round, resembling the lotus petal shape of plum blossoms; the clasping petals form a hood; the lip is straight and extended, hard and not rolled backward. The main varieties include Songmei, Tangmei, Wangjingmei, Guiyuanmei, Cuiyingmei, Tianzhang, Shiyuanmei, Lüying, Ruizhimei, Yang'an, Tianlü, Qinmei, Yongfengmei, Rongxiangmei, Fayangmei, Shengmei, Yuhuan, Liyang Shenkui, Xiaofeng, Wushuangmei, Heshimei, Youchengmei, Xiangzi, Cuihe, Tianxingmei, Heshenmei, Daimei, Zhejiang Diyi Mei, Donglai, Jiyuan, Taiyuanmei, Zhensongmei, Ruimei, Xiaodamei, Yumei, Wanzi, Jizi, Xiaqi, Chunyu, and so on. These are all traditional famous varieties and new varieties among the Meiban Chunlan in our country. Among them, Songmei is the typical example of Meiban, and Yumei belongs to white-tongue plum.

2. Heban (lotus petal) The three outer petals of this type are thick and broad, shaped like lotus petals; the clasping petals do not form a hood and resemble a slightly open clam shell; the lip is broader and larger than in other petal types. According to flower size, it can further be divided into: Small type: each petal about 0.8 cm wide and about 1 cm long, for example Gaihe. Medium type: each petal about 1-1.2 cm wide and more than 2 cm long, for example Gaohe, Duanxiuhe, Huanqiu Heding, Lüyun (normal flowering form), etc. Large type: each petal more than 1.5 cm wide and more than 3 cm long, for example Zhengtonghe, Dakuihe, Futian Dahe, etc. Among the Heban, Zhengtonghe and Gaihe are typical.

3. Shuixianban (narcissus petal) The three outer petals are narrower and longer than those of Meiban, and the petal tips are slightly pointed; the clasping petals have a hood or a slight hood; the lip droops or rolls backward. Its main varieties include Wangzi, Fangzi, Wang Xiaoshang, Yangchunxian, Taiji, Yao Shixian, Yipin, Suzhou Chun Yipin, Qiongxian, Cui Yipin, Yangchunxian, Qifeng, etc. In addition, among the Shuixianban there are variants: plum-form narcissus and lotus-form narcissus. Plum-form narcissus: the three petals resemble Meiban or are slightly longer; the clasping petals have a hood or a slight hood; the main petal has a tight base, more pronounced than the two side petals, for example Xizi, Xishen, Cuiwen, Caimei Shuixian, etc. Lotus-form narcissus: the three petals are broader and resemble Heban; the clasping petals have a light hood or slight hood, for example Longzi is the finest of lotus-form narcissus, and others such as Shanhexian, Shuixian Dafugui, Cuiwei, etc.

4. Suxinban (plain-heart petal) Any lip without red spots or patches is called Suxinban. According to lip color, it can further be divided into green-tire plain, white-tire plain, yellow-tire plain, peach-cheek plain (slight red blush on both sides of the tongue base), and ciliate plain (faint fine red on the tongue coating). As for those with an entirely red tongue coating, they have not yet been seen in Chunlan in our country so far, and are only mentioned in materials or heard as rumors. For Suxinban, green tongue color is considered precious. According to the petal shape of the three petals and clasping petals, it can further be divided into:

Caosu: the three outer petals and clasping petals are narrow and pointed like chicken claws. This plain-heart petal shape is not highly regarded, but because it belongs to plain lip, the orchid culture world still lists it among the fine flowers.

Zhubansu: the three outer petals are shaped like bamboo leaves, the clasping petals are also narrow, and the three petals are relatively thin in texture. For example Songhesu, Yinguisu, Tiantongsu, etc.

Hexingsu: the flower shape closely resembles Heban; the petals are full, beautiful, plain and quiet, and it is the most appreciated shape among Suxinban, for example Yangshi Hesu, Yuepei, Xieshi Hesu, Yunhesu, Zhanghesu, Longsu, Kuihesu, Cuihesu, Wentiansu, Wenyansu, Xiangcaosu, Yushisu, Guoqingsu, etc.

Meixingsu: the three petals resemble Meiban, and the clasping petals form a hood, for example Caimeisu, Yumei, Suxishen.

According to flower buds and bracts, Suxinban mostly come from green-veined green shells, or white-veined green shells. However, plain hearts occasionally also appear on white-green shells with slightly red vein lines, called red-shell plain, for example Xueliansu, Cuihesu, etc.

5. Qiban (strange petal) Any type in which the lower half of the three petals or clasping petals becomes lip-shaped, or the flower shape becomes multi-petaled or lacks petals, or has multiple lips, etc., is called Qiban. They are described below:

(1) Butterfly type: This type has lip transformation in the lower half of the side petals or lip transformation on the inner side of the clasping petals, collectively called butterfly. If there are red spots or patches on the transformed part, it is called Yun Hudie (halo butterfly); if there is no red, it is called Hudie Su (butterfly plain). According to the size of the lip-transformed area, it is further divided into:

Quanhu: lip transformation involves two-fifths of the longitudinal part of the side petals. This type is mostly lotus-form butterflies and is regarded as a treasure by the orchid culture world, for example Cai Hudie, Yuan Die, Guan Die, Yingchun Die, etc.

Banhu: only the lower edge of the side petals shows narrow or intermittent lip transformation. This form is mostly regarded as ordinary in the orchid culture world, so it is rarely kept for propagation.

Caohu: the three petals and clasping petals are all narrow, long and pointed; the lip-transformed area is mostly shallow and slight, so it is listed as inferior and generally not included among famous varieties.

Clasping-lip form: there is lip transformation on the inner side of the clasping petals. For example Liangxi Ruidie, Ruidie, Yuanyangsu.

(2) Multi-petal form: the three petals become multi-petaled or the flower shape overlaps. For example Hehe Die, Sixi Die, Lüyun, Li Die, etc.

(3) Multi-lip form: the lip in the flower shape becomes multi-lipped. For example the two-lipped Sudie Lian, Duochun Lüyun, etc.

(2) Huilan category: In addition to being divided according to the five major petal types of plum, lotus, narcissus, plain heart, and strange butterfly, Huilan should also be classified concretely in combination with the bract shell color and the sand halo and vein patterns distributed on it. Its main characteristics and typical horticultural varieties are described below:

1. Green-shell type: the bract shell color of this type is all green-veined green shell, for example Shanghai Mei, Panlü, Dangzi, Xianlü, etc.

2. White-green-shell type: the base of the bract shell is slightly green, gradually becoming deeper green upward, and slightly lighter again at the bract tip, for example Da Yipin.

3. Red-turning-green-shell type: the base of the bract shell is slightly green, gradually becoming red upward, and at the tip again showing a purple halo within green, for example Hanbi, Duanmei, Cuimei, Rongmei, etc.

4. Quicksilver-red-shell type: the base of the bract shell is slightly white, the whole body is light red, and the vein color on the shell is slightly deeper than the bract shell, for example Wanqing Hancui, Yemei, Jinmei, etc.

5. Red-shell type: the outer layer of the flower bud and the bract shell are purplish red, and the distributed vein patterns are slightly coarser than those of the green-shell type, for example Chengmei, Guanding, Yuanzi, etc.

6. Strange-petal type: In Huilan, strange petals include not only the various forms described for Chunlan, but also many novel forms, as follows:

(1) Cat-ear clasping petals: the tips of the clasping petals turn upward like cat ears, for example Fengqiao.

(2) Twisted-petal form: the side petals are twisted, for example Haiou.

(3) Wavy-petal form: the three petals are wavy, and the clasping petals are wavy and curved with tips turned upward like cat ears, for example Duoyun, Efengmei.

(4) Lotus-flower form: all flowers contract into one flower, shaped like a double-petaled lotus, for example Huilian.

(5) Mixed brocade: among multiple flowers on one scape, there are plum, narcissus, and lotus petal forms, and also pointed narrow petals (that is, ordinary flowers without proper petal forms), for example Zayangjin.