What types and grades of lip-like (labellum) transformation (butterfly transformation) exist in orchid petals?

    The most essential part of Chinese orchids is the orchid flower, which is the most spiritual elf that nature has left to humanity, and among the orchid flowers, the most charming and magical part should be the petals (the "holding" petals). The orchid perianth has six segments, arranged in two rings, inner and outer. The outer three segments are the sepals, similar in shape, except that the upper one is slightly longer; the inner three segments are the petals, the upper two of the same shape, often upright, called the "holding" petals, and the lower one is larger than the upper two, of varied shape, called the "tongue" petal, usually three-lobed, with the middle lobe curved outward, and the spots and color blocks on the "tongue" petal differ; between the two holding petals there is a columnar structure, called the "nose", where the pollen [male] and the style [female] embrace, storing fragrance. The "nose", the "tongue", the "fragrance", and the arrangement and modeling of the petals of the orchid flower are enough to astonish people, and moreover there is that mysteriously unfathomable "holding" petal, harboring a thousand transformations within it, creating infinite splendor that fills the vast universe, which shows where the charm of the orchid lies. No wonder that for thousands of years, her unique heavenly posture and spiritual charm have intoxicated countless literati and poets, and subdued many celebrities and kings. In the six major categories of Chinese orchids classified horticulturally by flower type [lotus-petal type, plum-petal type, narcissus-petal type, strange-petal type, common flower type, multi-flower type], the three major categories classified by variation of the holding petals are the plum-petal type, the narcissus-petal type, and the strange-petal type (stamen butterfly, three-star butterfly, multi-tongue butterfly, chrysanthemum-petal, etc.). Both the plum-petal and narcissus-petal varieties are positioned by the holding petals forming a hood, and the distinction between plum-petal and narcissus-petal, apart from the outer three segments resembling plum blossom and the narcissus flower type, mainly lies in the change of the tongue petal: plum, the tongue petal is relaxed and straight, hard and not rolling back; narcissus petal, the tongue petal is soft, large and drooping or curling back. The butterfly transformation of orchid holding petals is the most splendid and most spiritual form of survival competition of orchids in nature; she is a minority among orchids, her gorgeousness is unparalleled, her variability is unpredictable, and what she leaves to orchid growers is a beautiful reverie that can never be replicated, a natural code that can never be deciphered. The butterfly transformation of the holding petals refers to the variation of the orchid holding petals, metamorphosing into "tongue"-petal-like petals, belonging to a "tongue"-transformation phenomenon of orchid petals. The types of "tongue"-transformation phenomenon of the holding petals are divided into:

1. Half "butterfly" transformation, referring to the two kinds of half "butterfly" transformation of the upper part or the lower part of the holding petals.

2. Full "butterfly" transformation; the "butterfly"-transformed part is also divided into two kinds: "moss-like" butterfly transformation and "tongue"-substance-like butterfly transformation.

3. The butterfly transformation of the holding petals is accompanied by two kinds: variation of the nose and no variation of the nose.

4. The butterfly transformation of the holding petals is also divided into two kinds: butterfly transformation of the two holding petals and butterfly transformation of multiple inner petals [peony petals]. The half-butterfly transformation of the holding petals is called smiling butterfly or inner butterfly, often accompanied by variation of the nose, and during cultivation it may also become full butterfly transformation; while full butterfly transformation accompanied by variation of the nose may also become half butterfly transformation and multi-inner-petal butterfly transformation during cultivation. The multi-inner-petal butterfly opens facing upward, and during cultivation the number of butterfly-transformed petals is in a constantly changing, unstable state, and it has a great relationship with the cultivation skill of the orchid grower and the strength or weakness of the plantlets. The butterfly transformation of the holding petals and the butterfly transformation of the outer secondary petals should be two different butterfly-transformed varieties among butterfly flowers. In the full butterfly transformation of the holding petals, it is necessary, according to the opening form of the flower, the variation of the nose, and the degree of butterfly transformation, to divide it into three varieties: "stamen butterfly", "three-star butterfly", and "multi-petal butterfly". In fact, in the classification practice of butterfly flowers, orchid friends have long also assigned these three designations and names to the butterfly-flower class famous varieties with butterfly-transformed holding petals that they themselves cultivate and collect.

     The appearance of the variety and name "stamen butterfly" is recorded as first discovered and cultivated by Yang Xingsheng in the early years of the Republic of China. Many years later, in 1959, "Liangxi Stamen Butterfly", selected, bred and named by Mr. Shen Yuanru, began the continuation of this variety name. The appearance of the variety name "star butterfly" was in recent years; perhaps because "stamen butterfly" could not encompass and unify the characteristic differences in the connotation of holding-petal butterfly transformation, the variety name "three-star butterfly" was derived.

    "Stamen butterfly" is full butterfly transformation of the holding petals; the butterfly-transformed part mostly contains "moss" transformation, the butterfly-transformed petals are not penetrated, often bearing green veins, with no "tongue" root or "throat" tube; there are also full butterfly transformations accompanied by a "throat" tube and "tongue" root, but the nose of the stamen butterfly is normal, and the nose column often bears the color patches from the butterfly-transformed petals; the color patches on the butterfly-transformed holding petals and the color patches on the tongue petal are not entirely consistent, the flower opens facing inward, and the stamen butterfly will never show the phenomenon of half-width butterfly or multi-petal butterfly. Most flowers blooming from butterfly grass are stamen butterflies. The grade of the stamen butterfly depends on the color, form, and gorgeousness of the patches on the butterfly-transformed petals. "Three-star butterfly" is also full butterfly transformation of the holding petals; the lower foot of the butterfly-transformed petals is penetrated, possessing a "tongue" root and "throat" tube, and the color patches on the butterfly-transformed petals are nearly consistent with the color patches on the "tongue" petal. Most importantly, besides the holding petals being butterfly-transformed into truly three "tongues", unlike the "stamen butterfly", the nose of the three-star butterfly must be varied, so the three-star butterfly has greater variability, and during cultivation it may also become half-width butterfly and multi-petal butterfly. The phenomenon of three-star butterfly grass appearing is less than that of stamen butterfly, but the degree of butterfly transformation of the butterfly grass is superior to that of the stamen butterfly. High-grade three-star butterfly flowers open facing upward.

    Among the famous holding-petal butterfly flowers in the orchid world, for example, the lotus-petal "Hanxue Baoma", and the spring orchid "Ruby", "Flower Butterfly", and "Panda Butterfly" are stamen butterflies, while the spring sword "Taoyuan Sanyijie", the lotus-petal "Datang Fengyu" and "Sanyang Kaitai", and the spring orchid "Red Stamen King" are also three-star butterflies. "Stamen butterfly" and "three-star butterfly" should be two varieties sharing the common feature of full butterfly transformation of the holding petals. They have places that are the same and places that are similar, but they have a specific difference in variation, and it is precisely this that is the distinguishing feature of their variety positioning. Just like the features of plum petals and narcissus petals, they have common features, both requiring the holding petals to form a hood, but each has different positioning features, namely the reference of similar appearance and the difference of whether the tongue is hard or soft and whether it curls back or not. "Stamen butterfly" and "three-star butterfly" both take full butterfly transformation of the holding petals as their common feature, but the variation of the nose should be their unique distinguishing feature as different varieties. Opening facing upward is the unique feature of the grade of the three-star butterfly. The gorgeous color patches on the butterfly-transformed holding petals are the unique feature of the grade of the stamen butterfly. It is precisely in this varied and multi-formed plant diversity that Chinese orchids maintain and display her enticing infinite charm, making orchid growers praise her endlessly, appreciate her without ever having enough, collect her without end, and pursue her for a lifetime.