Appreciation of the Famous Cymbidium faberi Cultivar Yuanzi: Illustrated Guide to Its "Red Crotch, Green Sleeves" Features
To understand a variety of orchid or cymbidium, one needs to carefully observe everything on its flower; only after becoming thoroughly familiar with its detailed features can one gain a deep understanding of the variety that remains true through all its variations.
At the moment Yuanzi bloomed, I captured its lively and perfect instant with my camera, using a textbook-style illustrated approach to comprehensively interpret the "Yuan" of this cymbidium flower.
Head shape: In "Lan Hui Tong Xin Lu," the head shape of Yuanzi is "small three-converging gate," which is the "small three-converging head shape" among Shen Peilin's "eight methods of head shape" for cymbidium buds. While "Orchid" and "Three Hundred Questions on Chinese Orchid Art" say it is the "large flat cut" style, referring to the "large flat cut" among the "five gates and eight styles" of cymbidium small bud head shapes. The two head shapes should have an inevitable connection. See the figures for examples:
Lip:The "holding the jade tablet" lip, with connected patches of red spots, like the court tablets of ancient times. The shape of the "holding the jade tablet" lip is a rectangular lip (slightly narrower in the middle), extending slantingly downward and flat without curling, with a bluntly pointed tip; among petal-type flowers, the lip shape of Yuanzi has already become the model of the "holding the jade tablet" lip.
As the flower bud continuously swells, the position of the lip also undergoes different changes; with several figures of the bud in different states as examples, here is a detailed explanation of the unfolding of the "holding the jade tablet" lip.
Front view of the extension of the lip tip.
View of the lip form from the belly of the flower bud.
Form of the lip tip from the side of the flower bud.
State of the lip when the flower is about to open.
Lip form when the flower is half open.
The standard "holding the jade tablet" lip presented when the flower is fully bloomed.
The lip surface droops downward without curling.
Photo of the vividly red lip surface from the front.
Petals (bangs):Semi-hard silkworm-moth bangs, with green visible in the bangs, yellowed patches visible on the tips of the bangs, and a finger-like form at the front of the bangs, as if the hand were holding a "court tablet" (the lip), so it can also be called "clasped-fist bangs."A close-up photo of the bangs, appearing to have a finger-like shape, with yellowed patches on the tips of the bangs.
A portrait-like photo of the image of a hand holding a "court tablet" (two Yuanzi flowers whose bangs have beauty marks, the difference being one on the left and one on the right).
Outer petals:Long foot and round head, tightly edged, thick in texture, shoulders level and embracing, with a thick head.This is a photo of the top flower just beginning to open,
which can clearly display the above features.
Next, a photo of the fully opened outer three petals, with the outer three petals elongated.
Completeof the flowerperfect interpretive illustration.
Flower scape:The scape is thick and rises above the leaves, with sparse light purple-green small pedicels, and small green bracts with a floating purple blush, magnificent in momentum.
A poem praises it thus: With red crotch and green sleeves, she steps like Consort Pan,
In the empty valley, her fragrant voice is seldom recognized.
Were it not for the precious root upon the fine mat,
How could its honored name seize the championship and return?