First Bud of the Black Leucochilums

[DrLeslieEe]

Two days ago this peeked out... signalling the end of their wintry hibernation and the coming of the brachy season in my little forest abode.

It also means summer is here... earlier than most years in Canada. But I’m not complaining lol.

 

[GuRu]

Leslie, this looks promising and not really sure, but it seems a first time bloomer. So hopefully it is a true leucochilum with a pure white pouch.
I will buy my next leucochilum only in flower to see if the pouch has spots. Good luck and fingers crossed!

 

[DrLeslieEe]

Rudolf, this is a black petal leucochilum that I bought in bloom that has solid black petals, and speckled lip. Though lip is not white, it came from leuco line.

 

[Ozpaph]

the outside of the bud doesnt look black

 

[DrLeslieEe]

the outside of the bud doesnt look black

Yes many are white flowers with dense black spots that coalesce in the front into black areas. Only one or two of mine are black on both front and back. This isn’t one of them.

 

[Hien]

exciting

 

[werner.freitag]

just wait

 

[DrLeslieEe]

Another bud!!! Must be the season for black leucochilums...

 

[DrLeslieEe]

Finally! It’s opening… never thought I’d see the day!

Introducing ‘Darth Vader Too’!



Still expanding so let’s see in a few days the results.

 

[NYEric]

Not bad.

 

[Hien]

there seems to be a few separated lines of black breeding.
this one is relying on the spots to be close enough to become black , the shape is good . Are both of them divisions ? or just the leucochilum CH 'Blackest Knight' (chingher orchids?) ?
The second line breeding is the Red Vulcano breeding, which the Bordeaux wine red, the flowers are saturated , but the shapes are cupped .
I am looking forward to see the other breeding line that you have , saturated total black front & black back plants (perhaps similar to these?)

 

[DrLeslieEe]

Today it opened flatter…



This isn’t the breeding from Chinghua, although I have a few. Selected seedlings from first bloom couple years ago.

 

[Hien]

Today it opened flatter…

View attachment 28304 View attachment 28305

This isn’t the breeding from Chinghua, although I have a few. Selected seedlings from first bloom couple years ago.

was "Blackest Knight" a clone named by yourself (if it is not a division plant) ?

 

[DrLeslieEe]

I don’t remember naming ‘Blackest Knight’ but I like that name … so maybe I’ll use that for my other leucochilums.

I also don’t have divisions, just original plants selected from first blooms.

 

[Ozpaph]

i like this one better than the 'all black' ones

 

[GuRu]

Leslie, these are lovely flowers I like them very much, but........

Rudolf, this is a black petal leucochilum that I bought in bloom that has solid black petals, and speckled lip. Though lip is not white, it came from leuco line.

even with your explaination I can't understand why you call them Paph. leucochilum. In my understanding you as a well-respected judge couldn't judge these plants as Paph. leucochilum.....even when some anchestors (which you don't know) had been Pap. leucochilum and even when Paph. leucochilum is written on the tag. Or am I wrong?

 

[Hien]

I don’t remember naming ‘Blackest Knight’ but I like that name … so maybe I’ll use that for my other leucochilums.

I also don’t have divisions, just original plants selected from first blooms.

The Tag inside the small bud plant's pot , in the photo said the clone name is 'Blackest Knight'

 

[DrLeslieEe]

The Tag inside the small bud plant's pot , in the photo said the clone name is 'Blackest Knight'

OMG you’re right lol.

I had made tags of these two years ago, and named them … I like to play with words and wanted it to sound like ‘Blackest Night’. And forgot completely I used ‘Knight’ to spice it up.

So yes ‘Blackest Knight’ is another selected from first bloom with darker flowers. That is, hopefully, I didn’t put in the wrong black leucochilum. We will see in 2-3 weeks.

 

[DrLeslieEe]

Leslie, these are lovely flowers I like them very much, but........



even with your explaination I can't understand why you call them Paph. leucochilum. In my understanding you as a well-respected judge couldn't judge these plants as Paph. leucochilum.....even when some anchestors (which you don't know) had been Pap. leucochilum and even when Paph. leucochilum is written on the tag. Or am I wrong?

I completely understand your logic that a non-white pouch cannot be designated the term leucochilum. The very term defies the definition of what we see.

However, in order to keep the lineage correct, that this plant came from breeding only from leucochilums and sibs, and not from godefroyae, the name remains despite the visual discrepancy.

Since leucochilum has full species status (WCSP 2021), it is more important now than ever to keep this separation intact.

Thus, this will be judged as leucochilum, and not godefroyae, all over the world today.

 

[tnyr5]

Lovely, now make one as dark as those Account lines, but with a pure white pouch.