Fritz Schomburg? More like, It's Notburg.

[mrhappyrotter]

I'm rather irritated about this. I guess I'll wait for it to finish opening and then consult the phragsperts for identification. That being said, I'm 99.9% sure this is not Phrag. Fritz Schomburg. My best guess is that it's Phrag. Eumelia Arias.

Eumelia Arias is my current favorite kovachii hybrid, so it's not all bad. But! I already have a Eumelia Arias that I'm quite happy with, and I certainly wouldn't have paid what I did for this plant had I known it was Eumelia Arias (or similar).

Furthermore, this particular plant has been a fairly demanding drama queen. It's produced spikes previously for me, but each time the buds blasted. So, I'd get my hopes up, only to have this plant crush them. Hey, I really wanted a Fritz Schomburg.

Not only that, but it's been a little more difficult to grow than most of my other phrags. The foliage looks like crap as a result. The newest growth has popped up an inch or two above the potting mix. I've babied it, doctored it, and coddled it. This is in stark contrast to my known Eumelia Arias, which is a big, healthy, care-free plant that blooms reliably, several times a year.

Anyway, to me, the color is just not right for a Fritz Schomburg. More telling, look at those spots on the petals and the rounded, globular pouch. Okay, enough b@!*tching, here are the pics ...

 

[Erythrone]

Well... I am with you... Not FS...

 

[bullsie]

Except for the picture, it sounds exactly like the FS I've had....

 

[eaborne]

Looks like a Eumelia Arias. One of my EA grows just like yours(high maint.) and the others grow very well. Sorry.

 

[mrhappyrotter]

Thanks for the input guys. Additional griping ahead (sorry I gotta get it out of my system and you are the only people on Earth who'd understand)....

Since purchasing this plant, I've twice passed up the opportunity to purchase a Fritz Schomburg at relatively inexpensive prices -- "Even if they are cheap, I've already got one, so no point in getting another" I told myself.

Also, while it's obviously not fully open yet, and this could change, so far it's not even fragrant. My other clone, the good, original one, is fragrant almost from the moment the bud pops open.

 

[Scott Ware]

We understand.

At the risk of opening old wounds...

Some of us still remember several years ago paying big bucks for what were supposed to be Paph. sanderianum seedlings, and how it felt after years of waiting and passing up other acquisition opportunities, to have those highly anticipated "Paph. sanderianum" seedlings flower out as so-so Paph. Prince Edward of York.

 

[mrhappyrotter]

We understand.

At the risk of opening old wounds...

Some of us still remember several years ago paying big bucks for what were supposed to be Paph. sanderianum seedlings, and how it felt after years of waiting and passing up other acquisition opportunities, to have those highly anticipated "Paph. sanderianum" seedlings flower out as so-so Paph. Prince Edward of York.

I do remember that whole fiasco. Seemed like lots of vendors had them for sale, and many people I knew at the time had purchased one.

 

[Linus_Cello]

Even if you do have a FS, you want several more as the coloration varies from more pink tones to more purple tones to maybe even orange (and then there's regular or flavum bessae).

Interesting, my FS grows well but I have one EA that's a diva.

 

[mrhappyrotter]

Even if you do have a FS, you want several more as the coloration varies from more pink tones to more purple tones to maybe even orange (and then there's regular or flavum bessae).

Interesting, my FS grows well but I have one EA that's a diva.

If I had enough growing space for several Fritz Schomburgs and a budget to match, I'd definitely have purchased several. But, I'm on a budget and I've got very limited space, so I have to use restraint. Sure there are times when I'd love to buy compots, grow them out and keep the best, but space simply doesn't allow for it. And, while the price of kovachii hybrids is a drop in the bucket for a lot of people, it's a considerable financial transaction for me.

Also, in this case, had I bought several of these guys from the same greenhouse, I suspect I'd have been several times more irritated about the fact that I spent several times more money for several more Eumelia Arias's than I was expecting...LOL.

When I get motivated, I'll have to post photos of this thing. It's not even fully open but the petals are already contorting and the dorsal sepal is cupped over the front of the flower. It's misidentified AND it's a booger.

 

[NYEric]

$5! :evil:

 

[Ayreon]

Looks very much like my Eumelia Arias, yes.

 

[SlipperFan]

I'd contact the vendor for a refund.

 

[mrhappyrotter]

I finally got around to taking some pics of the flower now that it's been open for a few days. It's pretty unfortunate. The color is decent. I don't feel like the photo accurately captures that. However, the shape is awful and it isn't fragrant at all. There is evidence of 3 buds, where as my other clone only produces 2 per spike, so it's got that going for it, which I suppose is nice?

Right now my plan is to trim the foliage, repot and whip the plant into shape. Then I will most likely sell it, though I'm REALLY hoping I'll get more than $5 for it (ahem). LOL

 

[NYEric]

OK, OK, $10! :crazy: If you want to really sell then PM me.