Characteristics, origin, flowering period, and fragrance of the Chunlan orchid cultivar Jiangnan Xue

 Jiangnan Xue is a rare Chunlan cicada-wing sumei orchid of recent years. In 1983, the well-known Hangzhou orchid selection expert Huang Xiaojin selected it from orchid plants dug by a Tonglu mountain farmer from Qingyuan Mountain at the border of Tonglu and Fuyang. Because its tongue is as white as snow, it was immediately named “Jiangnan Xue”. Jiangnan Xue has a relatively strong upright leaf posture, bluntly pointed leaf tips, and most marginal leaves are fish-belly shaped. The leaf color is emerald green and glossy, the midrib is translucent when facing the sun, and the plant form has a narrow base. Usually, strong plants have somewhat wider leaves, and the leaf sheaths are slender and tall.

Jiangnan Xue's three outer petals are evenly tight and roundly formed. On the middle-lower section of both sides of the three outer petals there is a small cicada wing, making it very easy to identify. The tight edge is excellent, the flower color is extremely emerald green, the soft divided-socket silkworm-moth holding petals, and the pure white ruyi tongue. Unfortunately, the flower stalk is not very tall, which is one shortcoming. The leaf posture is semi-upright.

When speaking of Jiangnan Xue, one cannot fail to mention its fragrance. Its fragrance has already gone beyond the category of light fragrance and belongs to the very fragrant type, with extremely high value for collection. The flowering period is generally between March and April.