Paphiopedilum Maudiae 'The Queen' (Bankhaus) AM/AOS, FCC/AOS (?)

[NEslipper]

Another one of the historical paphiodpedilums I grow. I can't take full credit for this blooming, since it came to me in low sheath, but at least I didn't blast it! Cross is callosum x lawrenceanum and was registered by Charlesworth in 1900. I doubt this plant is from the original cross, but it is still an heirloom plant, having been owned by Mr. W. K. Dupont in the early 1940s. This plant has a somewhat convoluted history, and seems to have been awarded as both 'The Queen' and 'Bankhaus' (and the misspelled 'Bankhouse'). Here is some history from Orchids Ltd (LINK). Mrs. W.K. Dupont also had a maudiae awarded an FCC in 1941, which may be this plant, but I haven't seen any definitive confirmation of this, so if anyone knows, I would love to have more information. A massive flower on a tall, stately inflorescence, similar to another famous plant I grow, Clair de Lune 'Edgard van Belle' AM/AOS, FCC/RHS. Here's a link to my blooming of that plant earlier this year: HERE. Both plants are clearly polyploid, with large leaves, massive flowers, and heavy texture, although 'The Queen' has somewhat better form overall. Hopefully, one day they will bloom at the same time and I can do a side-by-side comparison. Both have nicely mottled leaves and are pleasant to look at even out of bloom.




I find the black background distorts the color a bit, so here some additional photos that more accurately show the color:

 

[big923cattleya]

Well, I have heard that several of the originals are still around.
Unless it is a 100% descendant or I guess division, that would seem to be the only way that it could properly carry either flower quality award. I don’t know how you would go about proving that.
Remakes would not be able to carry the “Queen” designation. Not even if they involved the same parents assuming that they could both be found.

 

[terryros]

Nice blooming. My plant, from Orchids Limited, will open its bloom this year in another week or so. You described the history perfectly.

 

[NEslipper]

Well, I have heard that several of the originals are still around.
Unless it is a 100% descendant or I guess division, that would seem to be the only way that it could properly carry either flower quality award. I don’t know how you would go about proving that.
Remakes would not be able to carry the “Queen” designation. Not even if they involved the same parents assuming that they could both be found.

This is an original division, from Orchids Limited. They have originals of several of these older maudiae hybrids that they have good provenance for.

 

[NEslipper]

Nice blooming. My plant, from Orchids Limited, will open its bloom this year in another week or so. You described the history perfectly.

This is also from Orchids Limited, I’m interested to see what the flower looks like under your conditions. This was flat as a pancake for a few days after opening, but then the dorsal started to twist slightly. It’s a little smaller than the award description, but it’s still settling into my conditions, so this isn’t a fully accurate representation of the flowering under my conditions. I’ll need to grow out the new start and get that to bloom.

 

[big923cattleya]

Well I went into the AOS database to check and there are currently 134 AOS awards to this grex. Most are HCC’s or AM’s with a few cultural awards.
All three FCC’s that came later were for vinicolors. ‘Ebony Queen’ with a 10.5 natural spread. Awarded in March of 1982.
Another vini, ‘Eureka’ with a natural spread of 11.8. It was awarded in April of 1988.
The last FCC was to ‘Candor’ described as a huge flower, 14.5 x 12.5 awarded in April of 1991.
The images might exist within the database. I did not check. I am quoting this from Orchid Wiz.

 

[GuRu]

Lovely this oldie but goody.

..........Cross is callosum x lawrenceanum and was registered by Charlesworth in 1900. I doubt this plant is from the original cross, but it is still an heirloom plant, having been owned by Mr. W. K. Dupont in the early 1940s. .......

A green/white Maudiae is the cross of the albinos P. callosum fma. viridiflorum (var. sanderae) x P. lawrenceanum fma. hyeanum. When P. Maudia was made for the first time the name of the albino of P. callosum was var. sanderae which now is synonym.

 

[terryros]

Well I went into the AOS database to check and there are currently 134 AOS awards to this grex. Most are HCC’s or AM’s with a few cultural awards.
All three FCC’s that came later were for vinicolors. ‘Ebony Queen’ with a 10.5 natural spread. Awarded in March of 1982.
Another vini, ‘Eureka’ with a natural spread of 11.8. It was awarded in April of 1988.
The last FCC was to ‘Candor’ described as a huge flower, 14.5 x 12.5 awarded in April of 1991.
The images might exist within the database. I did not check. I am quoting this from Orchid Wiz.

You are right for AOS - ‘Bankhouse’ and ‘The Queen’ received AMs. I suspect that ‘Bankhouse’ was awarded by RHS in Europe before it came to the USA. That award might have been FCC.

 

[terryros]

Well, I have heard that several of the originals are still around.
Unless it is a 100% descendant or I guess division, that would seem to be the only way that it could properly carry either flower quality award. I don’t know how you would go about proving that.
Remakes would not be able to carry the “Queen” designation. Not even if they involved the same parents assuming that they could both be found.

I agree. Unless intentional or accidental error caused the mislabeling of plants, something labeled ‘Bankhouse’ or ‘The Queen’ almost must be a division tracing back to the original. The “almost” is there because there is a technique to create mericlones from Paphs and Phrags, but it is very difficult and is rarely used. Because this cultivar grows well and often produces two new growths, it multiplies fairly rapidly and could be reasonably available.

 

[Tony]

Awesome to see, I need to grab some of these historic clones for my collection.

 

[NEslipper]

Awesome to see, I need to grab some of these historic clones for my collection.

Orchids Limited currently has divisions of Clair de Lune for sale (not in spike), just saying…

 

[NEslipper]

Update with the fully settled flowers, the dorsal picked up slightly more of a twist as the flowers matured.

 

[spujr]

In the early 2000s I was maintaining a collection from Henrietta Fujiwara at UH Manoa. There were 2 plants called 'The Queen ', not sure if they were divisions of each other but we maintained them separately. One of them had the note 'AM/RHS 1952' along with what looks like an article/book reference, "Wyatt p. 2084 E. Hughes".

I'm certain at least one of these was the original plant as she and her husband Thomas were one of the first big paph collectors in the US.

I always find it fascinating when the same clone gets carried through the generations. Like cabinet Sauvignon, I heard recently that scientist found ancient grape cuttings and the DNA is identical to the one grown today!