Cattleya Bob Betts 'White Wings' AM/AOC, FCC/RHS

[monocotman]

Very interesting Leslie,
thanks,
David

 

[terryros]

Thank you so much, Leslie. When I look at the AOS FCC besseae cultivars over time, I see a real change/improvement in size, configuration, and even color. It looks to me like an early FCC would clearly not be an FCC today. However, this is with a recently discovered species. Long ago established species of a genera probably long ago worked out the natural variability and formed strong standards. Could this happen with something like Cattleya hybrids? The first cultivars look very good and get high marks and then future crosses (maybe with genetic manipulation) produce clearly higher scoring cultivars and the older cultivars might not even meet current award standards?

 

[DrLeslieEe]

Thank you so much, Leslie. When I look at the AOS FCC besseae cultivars over time, I see a real change/improvement in size, configuration, and even color. It looks to me like an early FCC would clearly not be an FCC today. However, this is with a recently discovered species. Long ago established species of a genera probably long ago worked out the natural variability and formed strong standards. Could this happen with something like Cattleya hybrids? The first cultivars look very good and get high marks and then future crosses (maybe with genetic manipulation) produce clearly higher scoring cultivars and the older cultivars might not even meet current award standards?

Yes the use of improved strains of the species to remake old crosses have seen better progeny characteristics in most cases. Like better form or color forms previously not seen.

Line breeding of species and the use of cochicine treatments have greatly improved the form, size and color than older cultivars. But there is still the appreciation of the true delicate form of the original jungle forms that have recently been acknowledged by AOS in most genera.

Caveat: there are some heirloom hybrids that have reached their zenith with already best available parent species (like Bow Bells or Taisuco white Phals) that any more major improvement may be minimal.