Introduction to the Characteristics of the Zhonghua Hedin Chunlan Variety

    In the spring of 1998, Ding Shifa, a villager from Tatou Keng, Shiliang Town, Tiantai County, collected it in the Tiantai Mountain range near Tiechuanhu Village, Shiliang Town, and took it to a street stall to sell. It was spotted and purchased by Qiu Shiyin, who frequented the stall. After it bloomed, it was transferred to Xu Ruihua and Dou Jingbo. The three outer petals are short and round, with a contracted base and broad, angled tips, bearing red veins; the petals are mussel-shell-shaped (Bangke peng), with a large Liu Hai tongue. The flower scape is about 18cm tall, and the ratio of petal width to length is around 1.8:2. It tends to bloom as double-headed flowers. The leaves are thick and substantial, tall and upright in form, dark green in color; the marginal leaves are blunt and form a pouch (qi dou), most leaves show an obvious belly (fang du), the central leaves have a high belly, occasionally two leaves are fused together, and there are swallowtail leaves (yanwei ye).

    In March 2008, this flower made its first public appearance at the "18th China (Wenzhou) Orchid Expo." It drew a large crowd, and those unaware of its background declared that a new lotus (he) had appeared out of nowhere, sparking considerable controversy.

    In February 2009, it was submitted to the Zhejiang Province (Tonglu) Spring Orchid Expo and won a Silver Award. It gradually came to be recognized and accepted by orchid enthusiasts.

    The author observed this flower at both orchid shows. As I recall, the plant was tall and upright, the leaf texture was not particularly fine, and it felt rather coarse. Its plant-type characteristics were distinct. The blooms seen at both orchid shows were each a single scape bearing double flowers. Perhaps this is also one of the characteristics of this flower. Judging from the blooms on display, the petal tips are well-formed and the flowers are grand. When fully open, the tongue hangs down and curls slightly, the petal color is relatively deep, and the red veins on the outer petals are prominent. The color is not clear and bright enough, which is its regret.