To identify orchid varieties, master the three-look method

Variety identification is an appraisal of an orchid's overall qualities and the branch of knowledge that best demonstrates a grower's skill. For this reason, orchid masters through the ages have been especially cautious about it, never jumping to conclusions, and have always upheld the "three looks" principle. First, look at the leaf shape: "enjoy the flowers for a time, admire the leaves all year round."  

In the flowerless season, the main basis for identifying famous orchid varieties is the leaf shape, including leaf buds and plant form. The color of orchid buds when they emerge from the soil has a certain reference value for appreciating orchid varieties, and the bud stage needs careful observation. Generally speaking, if the new buds are white, white-green or green, Cymbidium goeringii (spring orchid) is usually a plain-hearted variety, and Cymbidium faberi (faber cymbidium) is mostly plain-hearted or a green cymbidium; if the bud tip has a white millet-like "white peak," it may produce a fine flower. Traditional famous orchid varieties are mostly relatively stable, and their leaf shapes also follow certain patterns. Through long practice, orchid growers can generally identify by eye which variety a plant with clearly distinctive leaf features belongs to, such as the upright-leaf Wang Zi, Tai Su and Lao Jipin, the arching-drooping-leaf Song Mei and Da Yipin, the thick-arching-leaf Da Fugui, and the twisted-leaf Lü Yun. However, because orchids are grown in different environments, their leaves are not the same year after year, so orchid growers often also examine the flower buds along with the leaves to identify varieties. Second, look at the flower buds. Traditional famous orchid varieties not only have distinctive leaf shapes but also richly distinctive flower buds. Therefore, when identifying them, people should look at both the leaf shape and the flower buds. Regarding the identification of flower buds, predecessors summarized the "nine shapes and eight forms" of cymbidium head shapes and the "five gates and eight forms" of faber cymbidium small bud clusters. These valuable experiences are of great benefit to us in identifying varieties and are worth thoroughly digesting and absorbing.  

All things develop and change. In the practice of growing orchids, people have found that even for the same pot of orchids, the color of the flower buds sometimes differs from year to year, and even within the same year. I have experienced this myself. After many years of observation, the flower buds of famous orchid varieties I cultivate, such as Da Fugui and Yuan Zi, sometimes differ from year to year; in some years the bud color is deeper, and in others lighter. According to Mr. Chen Yaoming of Wuxi, the flower scapes his cultivated Ji Yuan sometimes put out are "deep crimson red," and sometimes the scapes put out are "purple seen within green." One year, a large pot of his Ji Yuan put out five scapes, three of which were red and two purple within green.  

It can be seen that identifying varieties purely from the color and shape of the flower buds has its limitations, and one must also look at how they open. Third, look at how they open. The most direct and effective way to identify cymbidium varieties is to look at how they open, which is also the main reason why introduced varieties should be introduced only when in flower. Generally speaking, as long as the flowers open properly, the variety can be identified once they bloom. But everything has its particularity; the same cymbidium variety often opens differently depending on how it is grown. For example, Song Mei can open in four or five flower forms, and Lü Yun and Xi Shen can also open in several different flower forms, but we cannot conclude that they are different varieties just because their flowers open differently. Thus the great orchid master Wu Enyuan said: "Because growing methods vary in quality, the flowers open at different levels." This is exactly the principle. Variety identification is truly a deep subject. The identification of orchid varieties should be viewed dialectically and comprehensively, not letting one leaf block the view of Mount Tai and not jumping to conclusions. The correct method should be to look at the leaf shape, look at the flower buds, and look at how they open.