What are some practical methods for selecting fine flowers when breeding wild orchids?

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Selecting from the flower

Late winter and early spring is the flowering period for most orchids, and also the golden season for buying orchids. Orchid lovers can judge the quality of an orchid by its flowers. When making a specific selection, pay attention to choosing orchids with superior petal types, good color, variegation, and unusual forms. First, those with a pure, clear, far-reaching delicate fragrance or an aloeswood-like scent are superior; those with a strong scent or sandalwood-like scent are medium; those with no scent are inferior; those that bloom in all four seasons or bloom on festive occasions are treasures. Second, as for flower color, those with plain centers (suxin) or high-grade colored flowers are superior; those with solid-colored or compound-colored tepals are medium; those whose colors are too pale and disordered, or mottled and mixed, are inferior. Third, those with fragrance, unusual flowers, flowers blooming above the leaves, and a long flowering period are best. Fourth, as for petal type, plum petals, lotus petals, narcissus petals, and mixtures of these three are superior; butterfly petals and unusual petals (multiple petals, few petals, twin flowers) are top-grade; bamboo-leaf petals and willow-leaf petals are inferior. Fifth, as for sepals, those with thick texture, and with the two lateral sepals held in a "flying shoulder" or "single-character shoulder" position, are superior. Sixth, as for the column (the "nose"), a small and delicate one is best, and multiple noses are good. Seventh, as for the petals (petals clasping the column), those that are hard in texture, with hard clasps, and with the two petals not opening a window are good. Eighth, as for the lip (the "tongue"), those that are upright, short and round, broad and thick, with a pouch, of waxy color, with multiple tongues, and with regular vermilion dots, color patches, or solid color distributed on the lip surface, are superior, such as the ruyi tongue, liuhai tongue, large round tongue, dragon-swallowing tongue, red tongue, plain tongue, and so on. Ninth, as for the flower scape, one that rises above the leaves, is slender and round, straight and upright, and whose color sets off the leaves, is good.

Selecting from the leaves

An orchid plant's flowering period lasts only a few dozen days or a month or so out of the whole year, and most wild-collected orchids (xiashan lan) receive little sunlight, suffer severe disease, or are single seedlings that produce no flowers and no fragrance for several years. Orchids whose flowers cannot be seen are commonly called by orchid enthusiasts "gambling grass" or "mute grass." In this situation, one can only select plants by their leaves. First, wild-collected orchid leaves are rather messy in form, rather rough in texture, and mostly damaged; focus on selecting the leaf shape. The leaves should be relatively wide, thick and solid, dignified, elastic, and glossy; the main vein should be prominent, the midrib transparent, and the grooves deep, forming a fish-belly shape, with raised wrinkles and rippling waves. Second, leaves with an abruptly tapering tip, a round and blunt leaf tip, a round head opening*, a bright white cap at the leaf tip, a leaf tip pouched into a spoon shape, an unusual color at the leaf tip, or an especially hard and rough leaf tip with a prickly feel, even keratinized.

Third, the sheath shell wrapping the base should be tight and high, the sheath leaves should spread outward, and the bud tip should be thick, hard, and very sharp; in this way, the base of the petal structure of the flower will be tightly held, and the front of the petals will open wide. Fourth, if the sheath shell has a sandy haze, with veins reaching the top, a single color with no mixed colors, or an overall waxy, translucent appearance with vein lines running through to the tip, then plain flowers or colored flowers often appear. Fifth, dwarf varieties should be small, delicate, and elegant, with the seven characteristics of short, round, broad, thick, coarse, dragon-like, and raised; check whether these are passed down from generation to generation and remain similar. Sixth, leaf tips and leaf sheaths curling inward toward the leaf center, bearing thick vein lines, with slender leaves that twist and droop at the ends, with a "running-silk mouth" appearing at the leaf tip, and with leaves showing "released corners," "walking bridges," or "cicada-shell" features. Seventh, plants with an especially large number of leaves, with unusual and varied leaf postures, showing swallowtail leaves, yin-yang leaves, cockscomb shapes, hawk-beak shapes, or long bristles at the tips, or orchid plants that are crosses of two or more different orchid types. These orchid plants, by the characteristics they display, will have a somewhat higher proportion of producing good flowers.

Selecting from leaf variegation

Variegated-leaf orchids are also called line-variegation orchids. The variegation line patterns are beautiful, novel and ingenious, and endlessly varied, including pattern-spot variegation, center-transparency variegation, striped variegation, and so on, in a thousand forms that dazzle the eye, and there are also distinctions between early-emerging and late-emerging types. When selecting, pay attention to choosing stable types and anticipation types, and choose extraordinary plants with both leaf and flower variegation. Truly natural line-variegation orchids have the characteristics of clear boundaries, matching positions, presence on the sheath, and fresh tips. Fake line-variegation orchids often have dull color, scattered boundaries, displaced positions, no sheath markings, and scorched tips. Choose those whose emerging center leaf carries variegation, whose nose-dragon is broad and open, whose midrib is bright, whose sheath tip is white or red, with clustered silver threads, emerging back silver, vivid and gorgeous leaf variegation contrast, and variegation running through the tip to the base; their variegation direction will later evolve relatively stably and reliably, they tend to flower easily, and they relatively often produce good variegation and high-grade variegation.

Selecting from the pseudobulbs and roots

Deep roots make lush leaves; strong stems make good flowers. For wild-collected orchids, see whether the roots are horizontal and twisted, often with dragon roots or ginger-cake roots, with roots spreading flat in all directions and carrying mountain base soil and natural humus. Choose wild-collected orchids with many roots and no rotted roots; they sprout more and are easy to cultivate. Orchid plants whose roots are shaped like deer-antler roots, ginseng roots, cuttlefish-tentacle roots, chicken-claw roots, tree-fork roots, or multi-jointed roots easily produce good plants. The pseudobulb, as an important organ for orchid growth and reproduction, should be thick, large, and round and solid. Pseudobulbs with unusual shapes, such as "olive-shaped," "winter-bamboo-shoot-shaped," "gourd-shaped," or "cone-shaped," often have the possibility of producing unusual flowers and fine varieties.

Selecting from flower buds and leaf buds

First, if leaf buds and flower buds are solid-colored or unusually vivid in color, such as tea-colored, black, blood-red, or deep purple-brown, there is a possibility of colored flowers and variegation. Second, if new buds show yellow-white or yellow-white speckles on green, and the sheath tip has crystal-bright dots the size of a grain of rice, this is a sign of emerging variegation; if a red halo also appears on the crystal-bright dots at the sheath tip, it will be a sign of high-grade variegation. Third, if the bud is round and plump like a bullet, and the flower bud inside the bract is like a longan pit, it will mostly produce plum petals; if it is olive-shaped, it will mostly produce lotus petals. Fourth, if the bud emerges white, white-green, or green, with no mottled dots or lines on it, it will surely produce a plain-center flower. Fifth, if the bud is a single solid color, such as yellow, red, or purple-red, with no mixed colors, and the tip has a white crystal-like hook or white rice-grain-like objects, it may produce a yellow plain or red plain flower. Sixth, the color of the flower can also be inferred from the color of the bud; if there are multi-colored vein lines or a sandy haze between the bud sheaths, it will mostly produce a gorgeous compound-colored flower with vivid color contrast and multiple intermingled colors. After the new bud emerges, the more vivid and intense its coloration, the deeper its flower color, and especially the late-emerging flowers whose color grows deeper and deeper as they bloom are the best.

In addition, when purchasing, by all means do not be greedy for quantity and completeness; do not choose tissue-cultured plants, recycled plants, diseased orchids, or grafted, counterfeit, or inferior fake orchids. Buy from reputable orchid merchants and orchid growers; pay attention to choosing genuine, healthy orchid plants, which also have higher survival and sprouting rates. If you choose weak orchids with severe pests and diseases, the survival rate is low, rejuvenation is difficult, and flowering is even more difficult; if isolation management is poor and control measures are ineffective, the slightest carelessness will cause the plants to collapse, leaving not even a seedling behind, and some will also infect the orchids in the orchid shed, bringing trouble and losses, affecting future exchange and sale, and if you count on them to sprout and bloom, you must endure several years; in every respect it is not worthwhile. Wild-collected orchids generally have the characteristic of "rushing to grow," with a relatively fast settling period; once selected, cultivation and management can be relatively extensive, with little or no fertilizer.

While planting the traditional "mainstay plants" well, ask more, observe more, and compare more; conduct all-around appraisal of wild-collected orchids from the aspects of flower, leaf, root, and stem, and carefully weigh them from multiple angles, rather than making sweeping generalizations and attending to one thing while losing another. We believe that by relying on the rich experience you have accumulated and your own unique eye to try your luck and select and cultivate some wild-collected orchids that are "distinctive" and "substantial," it is hard to say there is no possibility of small investment and large returns, and it is extremely creative, challenging, and exciting.

How to select plum-petal flowers from wild-collected plants: an experience

I like orchids, and I often go up into the mountains myself to search for them, or go to the market to learn to identify them; even more often I exchange knowledge with orchid friends, and I also often learn some rich experience from experts online. Summarized as follows: plum-petal plants mostly have fish-belly leaves on the mountain, mostly bow-shaped, relatively glossy in color, with a strong waxy feel to the leaf texture, fine and delicate in texture; new plants are emerald green in color, and when you feel them with your hand, the leaves are elastic, not soft and limp like touching thin paper; the leaf tip is pointed, the leaf forms a U or V shape, and the serrations are relatively coarse (of course, some are slightly coarse) and form a perpendicular orientation to the leaf. The center leaf is the most important: at the leaf tip there is a V shape, the side leaves have good bowing, a fish-belly shape, and good root contraction; the leaf base should be thin and hard, and a white head can be seen on the new leaf, and there is a white head on the new bud (below the white head there is red color). The more white head there is, the stronger the stamenization. The roots are slender and round, looking clean, and when you touch the leaf tip with your hand it feels hard and gives a prickling sensation; this point is the most not-to-be-overlooked. When there are many characteristics, if it is a plum-petal flower, it is ninety-nine percent certain; but some have only one or two characteristics, and it is best not to easily throw them away either, for perhaps among them there is a sixty percent probability! If there is anything inappropriate, I ask orchid friends to correct it.

Eight keys to selecting orchids

These keys mainly apply to the selection of Spring Orchid (Cymbidium goeringii) varieties, and secondarily can serve as a reference for selecting Sichuan Spring Sword (Cymbidium tortisepalum) varieties. Although the standards for other orchid types differ, they are largely the same with minor differences. Any promising plant with a certain cultivation value has common superior characteristics; when selecting, one must flexibly apply each key in order to seek the essence amid endless variation.

First, requirements for orchid leaves: the leaf base (petiole) is hard, slender, and upright; the middle section of the leaf is broad and solid, strong and powerful yet soft and smooth, with the tail drooping slightly, and the tail tip blunt and round, hard, pouched, and slightly upturned is superior. The leaf's interstitial tissue should have a fine, waxy, dense sandy haze; the leaf blade should be semicircular with a groove rising in the middle, oily-waxy and slightly glossy, feeling smooth as jade to the touch; the whole leaf should be pure and single in color, with little color difference between new and old leaves, with tender green first, emerald green second, and old green inferior. The main leaf vein is transparent and bright; the side veins are shallow where they enter and level where they emerge, seeming hidden yet revealed, each fine vein long and reaching through to the leaf tip; the leaf margin has a distinct white or yellow false-light edge; the leaf tip is white or yellow and transparent, and one with a peak-shaped tip is superior.

Second, requirements for the plant's basal sheath: the basal sheath is tall, robust, and upright, tightly round and shaped like the base of silvergrass; with many sheath pieces that are short, broad, and round, and sheath tips closely pressed against the plant clump with no splayed* (character) shape is superior. If the sheath is long and large and sharp and thin and hard, it is also of no harm. The sheath color must be vivid and pure, accompanied by a sandy haze like pearls or powder, or with unusual colorful spotted haze, growing from bottom to top and from pale to gradually deeper toward the tip; one whose sheath tip forms a snow peak, green peak, bright red, or unusual-color peak is superior. If the peak tip curves inward into a hook, it is even more superior. The sheath must be glossy; one whose veins and sandy haze are glossy is even more superior.

Third, requirements for the pseudobulb: the pseudobulb is large and round and solid, white or emerald green and crystal-clear in color, shaped like a water chestnut, an arrowhead, or a garlic bulb is superior.

Fourth, requirements for orchid roots: orchid roots should be round and smooth and plump; whether thick or thin, they should be even and straight, fine in texture, and pure white in color. For Spring Orchid, slender and round is superior; for Spring Sword, thick, large, and square and upright is superior.

Fifth, requirements for the plant bud (shoot): the newly sprouted plant bud is shaped like a string of beads or a hemispherical convex round, very plump; even if its protective bud membrane sheath tip is long, it is of no harm, and a good petal-type flower will surely be produced. For the changes in sheath, veins, and color of the plant bud before leaf separation, those that are pale first and then deep later will have relatively stable flower color. For the specific sheath, veins, and color, please refer to the second key above as superior.

Sixth, requirements for the flower bud (bud): after the flower bud emerges from the soil for more than a month, if it is swollen and tightly round and large, it will mostly produce petal-type or unusual flowers. If the bud sheath is plain and clean or lightly marbled, it will mostly produce plain flowers or light-colored marbled flowers. If the bud sheath color is heavy and the marbled sandy haze is intense, it will mostly produce haloed marbled flowers, colored-center flowers, and heavily marbled flowers. If, when you feel the bud sheath (bell) with your hand, it is tight and round and large with the upper half hollow and the top flat, it will produce plum petals; if the bell is olive-shaped, it will produce lotus petals; if the sheath tip forms a white head or the sheath edge bears an unusual-color ring, there is hope. If the bud shape is unusual and strangely wrinkled, one may hope for unusual flowers. If the sandy haze and unusual colors fill the sheath and are intense, forming fuzz and wrinkles, there is hope for butterfly flowers.

Seventh, requirements for delicate-colored (gorgeous) flowers: delicate-colored flowers mostly come from pale-colored basal sheaths, and the leaf color is also relatively pale and consistent; those with leaves emerald and clear like tender-green sheaths, emerald blue, white with emerald green showing through, or pale white-yellow with silver-red showing through the sheath, mostly produce pure-colored red, white, pink, emerald green, and other delicate-colored flower varieties. Those with deep red sheaths, old silver-red sheaths, yellow with purple-red showing through, or ginger-yellow sheaths with red veins showing through, mostly produce ivory-yellow, ginger-yellow, golden-yellow, and other delicate-colored flower varieties. Those with deep blue marbled sheaths, deep purple marbled sheaths, or thin sandy haze, mostly produce deep blue or purple marbled halo-colored flowers. If the sheath tip forms various colors extending to the left and right, one may hope for mutated-color delicate marbled flowers.

Eighth, requirements for hybrid and mutated orchids: orchid hybrids mostly produce mutated flowers; the leaves must have obvious essential characteristics. Such plants mostly have coarse and relatively soft-drooping leaf veins, a waxy glossy leaf surface, a crystal-clear leaf color or a grayish powdery appearance, obvious hybrid and mutation characteristics, and basal sheath sandy haze appearing as floral spots and patchy cloud patterns!

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