Fuukiran, just leaves though!

[KyushuCalanthe]

Here are some snapshots of my fuukiran collection. These are some, but not all of my largest specimens, showing a wide range of types. Sorry for the quality, these really were taken quickly. Main flowering time here is early to mid July for most, but some extend into August.

One of the easy and relatively cheap fukurin types, Higashidemiyako. It has about doubled in size from when I bought it.

A common tiger leaf is Kishusekko. I bought this as a large specimen, but it has increased in size quite a bit.

Another common tiger leaf is Kinroukaku. The leaves can be light green to bright yellow depending on the amount of light it receives. I bought this as a large specimen.

A recent acquisition is the bean leaf/tiger leaf form, Kinkujaku. These can form large specimens. The leaf color is bronzy-gold.

A needle leaf type that rarely flowers but expands at an incredible rate is Tousui. I bought this plant as a modest clump and it is at least four times larger now. Oddly, the flower is single and comes from the apex of the growth, hence that growth stops growing and so new growths must be made.

Benisuzume is my fast growing and expanding purple colored flower form. It was bought as a modest clump five years ago.

A large Amami Island type is Omidori. This has the largest fans in my collection, almost like a small Vanda. It is later blooming than most, peaking sometime in early August. Very fast expanding form. I got this one as one large fan with a small side growth.

On the other end of the scale is Kuroshinju, a miniature bean leaf type. This one is a seedling that has just approached adult size. It may be big enough next year to flower.

Another mini bean leaf is Senzai. It has a flower stalk this year, so I'm psyched. This is an adult clump.

Finally, perhaps the most well known bean leaf is Tamakongou. It can form very large specimens with time, but I've found it to be relatively slow in expanding. Also, I can't get mine to flower well - usually no more than two stalks for this whole clump.

I'll post a more shots once I take more pics.

 

[John Boy]

Just don't stop! I could look at these pictures for ever (at least)!!!

MORE, MORE!!! GIVE US MORE!

 

[etex]

Very cool pics and very informative!! You have quite an impressive collection!

 

[Clark]

:drool: :clap:

 

[Leo Schordje]

I sold my Amani type, it was a big plant that did not produce enough flowers for its size. I prefer the normal wild type for flowering. I have a Tamakonguo that is plunking along slowly, good to know it is normally a slow grower.

Thanks for showing. I really like the variegation, I need to get one this year.

 

[Jorch]

Nice plants! :clap:

 

[smartie2000]

I've always liked Higashidemiyako, eventually I'll buy one

 

[NYEric]

Oh, "tiger leaf"; I get it! In phrags that would be from some scale damage or deficiency! See, this forum is edumacational!

 

[KyushuCalanthe]

I've always liked Higashidemiyako, eventually I'll buy one

Actually, I'd buy its sister plant, Tenkeifukurin. It is just as easy to grow and has nicer variegation.

Oh, "tiger leaf"; I get it! In phrags that would be from some scale damage or deficiency! See, this forum is edumacational!

And we all need to be educated! Yes, most folks find these strange looking at best. I remember showing a pic of Kinroukaku to a European friend and he said, "well, it certainly is vigorous looking, but I suggest you give it a bit less sun, the leaves are chlorotic as hell." Ah, OK, will do!

 

[Justin]

i have a novice question....

do the names of neofinetia refer to propagated divisions of individual clones or to a range of plants within breeding lines & sib crosses?

also, can they be artificially propagated?

thanks!

 

[KyushuCalanthe]

i have a novice question....

do the names of neofinetia refer to propagated divisions of individual clones or to a range of plants within breeding lines & sib crosses?

also, can they be artificially propagated?

thanks!

And the can of worms is opened! Congratulations!

I'd say, "all of the above" depending on which form you're talking about. I'm unclear by what you mean by "artificially propagated" - do you mean meristems? If so, yes, some have been propagated that way.

 

[Lanmark]

You have a very nice collection of plants! Some of your specimen-sized plants are quite nice indeed! Now you will show us your smaller-sized plants too? Hehehe... I love seeing Neos and never get tired of them! I am wondering if you have any varieties which either I do not have in my collection yet or I have not seen before now.

 

[KyushuCalanthe]

Mark, I'll take more shots today. Most of my stuff is run of the mill - nothing too unusual to the dedicated fuukiran grower. I guess I'm unwilling to part with that much money to get a plant and that translates in Japan to forget having the oddball, high end stuff. Rarely do I spend more than $50 for a plant ($100 is generally my limit). Guess I'll never own a variegated bean leaf!

 

[SlipperFan]

I would like to know a little more about the names. Are they like clonal names in Japanese? Or varieties, as in var. album, etc.?

 

[KyushuCalanthe]

I would like to know a little more about the names. Are they like clonal names in Japanese? Or varieties, as in var. album, etc.?

More like clonal names, Dot. You have to remember that to this day Japanese growers (and for that matter scientists) do not naturally employ Latin binomials to plants. Instead they use the Japanese name, in this case fuuran. In the early days of collecting, samurai were sent out to look for unusual forms. These were the basis of what was to become fuukiran. This practice was followed up to even a generation ago in Japan, but is falling away due to limited wild stock - most places are utterly collected out.

Getting back to the naming - so, a plant like 'Seikai' was indeed discovered in the wild and has been subsequently increased in number through divisions only, hence it is a true clonal plant. Again though, I must stress that Japanese people wouldn't consider it "just a clone" but as something more, something unique and precious. That seems simple enough, but consider another common variety, 'Shutennou'. It was reportedly found on the island of Shikoku years ago and has been increased both through division of the original plant plus through seedlings. By far most 'Shutennou' on the market today are from seedlings, not divisions of the original plant.

If that weren't complicated enough, there has been "secret hybridization" of known varieties to produce new forms and even charges of hybrids with other genera (the most celebrated being the yellow flowered plants being produced from hybridizing with Ascocentrum).

So, no easy answers to your question. It is in the end a cultural thing, not something you could pin down "in reality". With the money surrounding the hobby there has been a fair amount of dirty dealing as well - an unfortunate, but typical issue when too much ¥¥¥ is at stake.

 

[Justin]

Tom, thanks for the discussion. Will be watching for more stories behind the different Fuukiran.

Best,
Justin

 

[Linh]

If that weren't complicated enough, there has been "secret hybridization" of known varieties to produce new forms

Yeah, I've been wondering about this. When you buy a new variety, there's really no way of finding out how this particular one came to be unless the vendor is able to tell you. For example, Benimusou is a cross between Benikujyaku and Yodonomatsu. So much of the info on fuukiran is in Japanese so there really aren't that many good sources available online (or anywhere else for that matter) regarding propagation/ hybridizing, etc.

Hey by the way, Tom, how is your Orihime this year? Is much of the cream, white variegation still there?

 

[Lanmark]

Guess I'll never own a variegated bean leaf!

:rollhappy: Welllll......maybe in another decade or two -- or three -- the price will come down far enough that you might get one. oke:

Even run of the mill Neos are still very special IMHO, so whatever plants you are willing to show us will be great! Just seeing how well you cultivate them in the climate of Japan is most excellent to see!

 

[KyushuCalanthe]

Hey by the way, Tom, how is your Orihime this year? Is much of the cream, white variegation still there?

Here it is. Variegation is the same, but the plant has not increased in size one bit!

Next dose.

A not so common plant is this wild form from Shikoku Island simply named 'Shikoku Akabana'. It has purple flowers and is slow to clump, but a reliable bloomer.

One of my favs now is this little guy, 'Kinginrasha'. It is a smaller variety with up turned flowers and a curly-cue spur - adorable. Another interesting feature is that the flowers as well as the leaves are "rasha" - rough like a file or sand paper.

My first fuukiran is this 'Gojyofukurin'. It was bought back in 2004 and had but one growth then. It now is a reasonably good sized clump. BTW, this form is a selected form of 'Higashidemiyako' - more yellow on the leaves and slightly nicer form.

Next is my favorite "cheap" fukurin type (marginal variegation), 'Tenkeifukurin'. It is in turn a sport of 'Gojyofukurin' and this time the upgrade is significant. It holds its fans very nicely and upright and the white/yellow coloring is much more pronounced. These also are good growers and clump relatively fast. A fantastic specimen plant - something to see in person. This one had only two growths a couple years back, so you can see it is fast expanding.

A curious and lovely variety is 'Suikaden'. The leaves are the curving "ocean wave" bean leaf type, like 'Seikai', but a bit larger. The flowers are both white and green.

Finally, the pride and joy of the collection, 'Seikai', perhaps the most lovely and distinct fuukiran IMO. I've been growing this one on for around three years now. You have to see the flowers to believe them. Wow. A bit slower growing than most and subject to disease, especially rot, but this one has grown very well for me. Getting it to flower heavily is another issue, but I am always rewarded with a spike or two.

About size, the variation can be extreme. Here are both ends of the scale. The plant in back is the Amami form 'Omidori', a "giant" type, and the two up front are 'Kuroshinju' (left) and 'Senzai' (right), both miniature bean leaves. All adult plants. It is hard to see how variable they are in size from the photos!

Will post more as time permits. Off to vacation tomorrow - just two days and one night though - a typical Japanese holiday!

 

[streetmorrisart]

Frickin' awesome--:clap:for all of your fine growing of these beauties.