Ian,
It is absolutely normal for some plants be in one year perfect albas and the next year they show a hint of a pink color.
The intensity of colors on orchids is depend on mainly two factors.
One is the intensity of light the plant and the flower is exposed. The other is the kind of fertilizer used and how it is applied.
Some supplier of fertilizer are promising that their fertilizer enhances the intensity of colors.
The question is, can this plants be considered pure albas? I don't know how much certain minerals in a fertilizer or in a planting media can give to a alba plant this hint of color. Or is this color in the gens of the plant? Does anyone have experience with this?
With our native species in the South of Brazil we make a test which takes several years to show a result. We take a known pure alba and sib cross it with the questionable plant. if all offspring is alba the questionable plant is also pure alba. If some of the offspring is the species type form or any other variety than alba, then the questionable plant is not pure.
Submitted by timsorchids on Sat, 06/09/2008 - 22:31.
Plant was flowered in the shade
this may have made the pink blush come out
have another that is in the sun will take photo when out and post it
to compare
Cheers Tim
This flower is white but that does not make it the alba form of anceps. Laelia anceps var. alba is very distinctive with a green/yellow throat, this flower has red stripes on a yellow throat.
From memory, it looks like var. or ssp. oaxaqueno.
Submitted by timsorchids on Sun, 07/09/2008 - 09:30.
Hi mcorchid
If you want to remove Alba from title thats fine with me
I can only go by what is on my Tag
plant is differnt to other post of Laelia anceps var. dawsonii
Tim, as you said, I do believe this flower is different from the L. anceps var dawsonii (from the previous post) by the look of the colour of the anthers' cap which are pure white, whereas this variety has purplish colour that makes it like a pair of 'purple eyes'. However, a question for the experts, does this purplish colour of the anthers' cap entitles this variety to carry the name 'alba'? It seems that the var. dawsonii has purer white than this one. Needs an explanation for this issue.
The photo of Laelia anceps var. dawsonii doesn't show the front view of the anther cap, only the top view looking downwards. http://orchidsonline.com.au/node/3503
This plant has been floating around in Australia for about 20 or 30 years and has been sold as var. semi-alba and var. alba simply because it was white.
looks great
Is this a pure alba? I could see pink blushes on the lip and brown lines inside the throat.
Alba
Hi
I can only go by whats on the tag
It was bought from well known species grower
here in Melbourne
Cheers Tim
pure alba
Ian,
It is absolutely normal for some plants be in one year perfect albas and the next year they show a hint of a pink color.
The intensity of colors on orchids is depend on mainly two factors.
One is the intensity of light the plant and the flower is exposed. The other is the kind of fertilizer used and how it is applied.
Some supplier of fertilizer are promising that their fertilizer enhances the intensity of colors.
The question is, can this plants be considered pure albas? I don't know how much certain minerals in a fertilizer or in a planting media can give to a alba plant this hint of color. Or is this color in the gens of the plant? Does anyone have experience with this?
With our native species in the South of Brazil we make a test which takes several years to show a result. We take a known pure alba and sib cross it with the questionable plant. if all offspring is alba the questionable plant is also pure alba. If some of the offspring is the species type form or any other variety than alba, then the questionable plant is not pure.
Plant was flowered
Plant was flowered in the shade
this may have made the pink blush come out
have another that is in the sun will take photo when out and post it
to compare
Cheers Tim
Laelia
Tim, this flower looks a lot like your previous entry as Laelia anceps var. dawsonii http://orchidsonline.com.au/node/3503
This flower is white but that does not make it the alba form of anceps. Laelia anceps var. alba is very distinctive with a green/yellow throat, this flower has red stripes on a yellow throat.
From memory, it looks like var. or ssp. oaxaqueno.
Bill
Alba????
Hi mcorchid
If you want to remove Alba from title thats fine with me
I can only go by what is on my Tag
plant is differnt to other post of Laelia anceps var. dawsonii
alba???
Sorry Tim, just thought you liked having the correct names on your plants, my mistake.
Bill
Alba????
Tim, as you said, I do believe this flower is different from the L. anceps var dawsonii (from the previous post) by the look of the colour of the anthers' cap which are pure white, whereas this variety has purplish colour that makes it like a pair of 'purple eyes'. However, a question for the experts, does this purplish colour of the anthers' cap entitles this variety to carry the name 'alba'? It seems that the var. dawsonii has purer white than this one. Needs an explanation for this issue.
Ogee
The photo of Laelia anceps var. dawsonii doesn't show the front view of the anther cap, only the top view looking downwards. http://orchidsonline.com.au/node/3503
No comparison can be made.
Bill
Laelia anceps
Here are a couple of links that show a true anceps var. alba
http://www.sborchid.com/plantdisplay.php?ocode=CLA292
http://www.sborchid.com/plantdisplay.php?ocode=CLA1293
I mentioned above "From memory, it looks like var. or ssp. oaxaqueno".
This link is to oaxaqueno
http://www.sborchid.com/plantdisplay.php?ocode=LAE00039
This plant has been floating around in Australia for about 20 or 30 years and has been sold as var. semi-alba and var. alba simply because it was white.
Bill
var oxalqueana
I think you will find that the variety you are referring to is var oxalqueana Bill.
Your memories OK for and old bugger...lol
Regards wellsy