An Introduction to the Characteristics of the Silver-Stem Su (Chunjian Cymbidium) Orchid Variety
The Chunjian Silver-Stem Su is said to have been discovered in the early years of the Republic of China in the area of Baiyanzi (a local place name) at the border of Dayi County and Chongqing County (present-day Chongzhou City) in Sichuan Province. Its pseudobulbs are oval, and its roots are thick, strong, short and round. The leaves are elegantly upright and graceful, with 4-6 leaves per plant; on vigorous plants the leaves are generally about 60cm long and about 1.4cm wide, and the leaf color is dark green. The flowering period...
The Chunjian Silver-Stem Su is said to have been discovered in the early years of the Republic of China in the area of Baiyanzi (a local place name) at the border of Dayi County and Chongqing County (present-day Chongzhou City) in Sichuan Province. Its pseudobulbs are oval, and its roots are thick, strong, short and round. The leaves are elegantly upright and graceful, with 4-6 leaves per plant; on vigorous plants the leaves are generally about 60cm long and about 1.4cm wide, and the leaf color is dark green. The flowering period is long, blooming in February-March, with 3 to 5 flowers per scape. The flower stem is slender, 15-20cm tall, and both the stem and the bud sheaths are pure white and translucent, which is how the Silver-Stem Su got its name! The perianth is dignified and pretty, the petals are oblong, the color is bright and pleasing, the sepals are as smooth and lustrous as ice and jade, and the fragrance is delicate and pure. It ranks first among the four famous dan of the Sichuan Chunjian suxin type, and has long been renowned both in China and abroad!!
The Silver-Stem Su is fine in quality and low in price, with dignified and pretty flowers, broad and round petals, bright and pleasing color, sepals as smooth and lustrous as ice and jade, and a delicate, pure fragrance. It is one of the five golden flowers of Sichuan Chunjian, and has long been renowned both in China and abroad.
As for the Chunjian Silver-Stem Su, the most debated point is none other than the two types: the palace silver-stem and the ordinary silver-stem. The palace silver-stem, also called the Jade-Stem Su, has many differences from the ordinary silver-stem of the general public, and also many similarities. The differences are that the palace silver has broad, thick petals and a stem like green jade, while the ordinary silver has a silver-white stem and petals mostly of willow-leaf shape. The similarity is that the tongue has a pale yellow base and the flowers are blue-green, with a fascinating, captivating fragrance! It is said that in the Qing Dynasty the palace silver was a thing greatly favored and loved by the high officials and nobles in the palace!
The Silver-Stem Su is loved by so many orchid enthusiasts because:
First, it has the beauty of leaf form, the free and easy bearing, the pure fragrance, and the pure, elegant and clean character unique to Chinese orchids;
Second, the distinguishing feature of this variety is: 2 to 4 flowers per scape, bright flower color, and a tall flower stem (20-30cm) that is silver-white, standing gracefully and beautifully, with high ornamental value;
Third, because of the faint, inconspicuous tiny red moss marks on the tongue of the Silver-Stem Su, which make it slightly less than perfect, though they are hard to see unless one looks closely, it happens to be precisely this flaw that makes the Silver-Stem Su priced at less than half that of Chunjian Su of similar flower shape and better color. Instead, it is very popular with the general public for being fine in quality and low in price;
Fourth, the Silver-Stem Su is easy to plant and easy to grow. It is reported that exported to Japan and South Korea, it can still sprout and bloom; even in the cold northern part of our country, with proper care, it can grow vigorously. This variety has been planted and domesticated for many years and can already adapt to various environments. Therefore, its vitality is especially strong, and generally it can survive even with rough, extensive care.
Nowadays, the main producing areas of the Chunjian Silver-Stem Su are Shiyang Town at the foot of Mount Qingcheng in Dujiangyan City, Sichuan Province, and Jiezi Town in Chongzhou City! The Chunjian Silver-Stem Su produced in Shiyang Town, Dujiangyan City, is called by the locals "Wang Family Silver-Stem," whose main feature is that the "base mark" on the tongue petal is pale yellow; the Chunjian Silver-Stem Su produced in Jiezi Town of Chongqing County (present-day Chongzhou City) is called by the locals "Jiang Family Silver-Stem," whose main feature is that the "base mark" on the tongue petal is pale red! These two Chunjian Silver-Stem Su should be the authentic ones today!!! In recent years, even in the main producing areas of the Chunjian Silver-Stem Su, the quantity is no longer very large!!! But now there are many that do not meet this standard and are also named Silver-Stem Su. I hope all orchid enthusiasts will pay attention when purchasing!
