Characteristics and Appreciation Points of the Laodai Mei Chunlan (Orchid) Variety

History: Selected during the Daoguang reign by orchid dealers in Ningbo, Zhejiang. Another account: Bred during the Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty by a Mr. Wang, an orchid enthusiast from Ningbo, Zhejiang. Usually one scape bears two flowers, one above the other, like "two generations," hence the name "Dai Mei"; at present the orchid community generally calls it "Laodai Mei."

Selected during the Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty by orchid dealers in Ningbo, Zhejiang. Another account: Bred during the Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty by a Mr. Wang, an orchid enthusiast from Ningbo, Zhejiang. Usually one scape bears two flowers, one above the other, like "two generations," hence the name "Dai Mei"; it has a cultivation history of 150 years to date, and at present the orchid community generally calls it "Laodai Mei." New shoots are quicksilver red. Old leaves are bow-shaped, with blunt leaf tips and thick texture. The leaf color is emerald green tinged with yellow and glossy. Leaves are 25-32 cm long and 0.8 cm wide; the central leaf is narrow, only 0.4-0.5 cm, with relatively shallow grooves on the leaf surface, and the leaf margins have fine, dense serrations clearly visible under a magnifying glass. The leaf texture is thick, the leaf shape is slanting and upright with some semi-arching, and the posture is elegant. New shoots are water-red with purple silk lines, and the bud sheaths are green-pink at the base dotted with red-purple vein markings. The buds are small and round, and the ovary bracts are deep green. The flower scape is 10-12 cm tall. It often blooms double-headed. The three outer sepals have rounded tips and extremely fine bases; the two lateral sepals have long feet and form a "single-character shoulder" (level shoulders). The main petal raises its head, full of spirit. The petals are semi-hard hooded silkworm-moth pollinia (beng), with a "white head" showing at the front of the pollinia. The lip is a small ruyi tongue, slightly exposed but not hanging down. Its charm is unique and distinctive; one glance is enough to keep it from being confused with other famous varieties. It is a slightly small flower form. Its common feature of changing form between upper and lower flowers makes it a famous variety of variable-headed flowers, but single-flower blooming is also seen.

Characteristics: The three outer sepals have rounded tips and extremely fine bases; the two lateral sepals have long feet and form a "single-character shoulder" (level shoulders). The main petal raises its head, full of spirit; it has semi-hard hooded silkworm-moth pollinia, with a "white head" showing at the front of the pollinia; the lip is a small ruyi tongue with small red dots on the tongue, slightly exposed but not hanging down; the flower scape is 10-12 cm tall and often blooms double-headed. With green stalks and a small form, its charm is unique and distinctive; one glance is enough to keep it from being confused with other famous varieties. It is a slightly small flower form. Its common feature of changing form between upper and lower flowers makes it a famous variety of variable-headed flowers, yet in medium and small plants single-flower blooming is also seen (double-headed blooming is its habit). New shoots are quicksilver red with purple silk lines, and the bud sheaths are green-pink at the base dotted with red-purple vein markings. The buds are small and round, and the ovary bracts are deep green. The leaf color is emerald green, tinged with yellow and glossy; the texture is thick and bow-shaped, the leaf tips are blunt, and the veins are shallow. Leaves are 25-32 cm long and 0.8 cm wide; the central leaf is narrow, only 0.4-0.5 cm, with relatively shallow grooves on the leaf surface, and the leaf margins have fine, dense serrations clearly visible under a magnifying glass. The leaf shape is slanting and upright with some semi-arching, and the posture is elegant. Although this variety bears the word "Lao" (old), it is currently rarely circulated in China.