Introduction to the Characteristics and Care Essentials of the Duan Mei Huilan (Duan Mei Fortune Orchid) Variety

"Duan Mei", in the 24th year of the Guangxu reign (1898) it emerged from Shuangxi Mountain in Fuyang, excavated by the Shaoxing man Jin Xiaolong, and planted by Shao Zhiyan and Wu Enyuan of Hangzhou. Red huilan plum. The leaf habit is upright and straight, with the leaves beginning to half-arch from above 2/3 of their length; the leaves are broad, and the leaf veins are fine and bright white. The red shell sheath has a green tip, the flower stalk has a green base with faint purplish-red clouding, and the flower pedicel is pale purple. One stalk bears 8-15 flowers, the small pedicels are short, the flower shape is very regular, and the inflorescence is tightly clustered. The three outer petals contract at the base and flare at the corners, with tightly rolled edges, and the petal tips are thickened, commonly called "having a thick head". The separated pouches have silkworm-moth hooded central petals, round and smooth at the tips, and the Liu Hai tongue is round and large and droops downward, taking a table-curtain shape, with the red spots in block form and bright in color. The flower shape is regular, and the flower color is emerald green. It is currently rarely circulated, and some pass off "Cui Mei" or "Duan Hui Mei" as it.

Characteristics:

The three petals have round heads, tight edges and green color, level shoulders, separated pouches or split-head joined-back form, silkworm-moth hooded central petals, and a large tongue. The flowers are rather densely arranged. It is listed as one of the New Eight Varieties and is a famous variety among huilan. The leaves are 40-50cm long and 1-1.4cm wide, the leaf texture is thick, and the leaf width is broad, similar to Cheng Mei; the leaf posture is half-arching and quite graceful. The flower scape is slender and upright, extending beyond the leaf framework. The three outer petals have short feet and round heads, the petal edges are tightly rolled, and the two lateral sepals extend levelly in a straight-line shoulder. The inner whorl petals are silkworm-moth hooded central petals, neat and smooth, shielding the fragrant column. The lip petal is a short but large ruyi tongue, and the tongue surface is adorned with brilliant red patches. The flower color is emerald green and the flower quality is regular, and it can be ranked first among the "New Eight Varieties of Hui Flowers", making it a rare and precious variety of the red-to-green plum petal type.