Need info from orchidwz and should I get a NOID?

[smartie2000]

Can someone look up the flower size of this Phal Leopard Prince 'Sogo Diamond'. (i heard it also comes in other clonal names too for some reason) to help me decide if I can put a label on a NOID?

I was at work at a grocery store yesterday and there was this rare find of a phalaenopsis, however it was a NOID It looked just like a bloom of Phal Leopard Prince 'Sogo Diamond' but a poor blooming of it. I recognized it right away, got excited and told the florist. This clone can sell for $50 or more and plus the S/H. I can get it for 23.99 or something like that (probably never again will I see that price for this plant).

The one at the store was around 7cm bloom, which isn't very big. The leaf span was probably around 20cm. I must resist adding NOIDs (its so hard to walk away on nice ones)

I think I will buy if it is virus free and I can label it safely. The blooming of it wasn't as pretty as these awarded photos by flower count and the top of the petals had a pinch, though still just as full and round. How much do mericlones deviate? maybe it is a bad mericlone or just poor growing conditions?

How easily can a phal inherit such a similar patterning?

Here is a photo out there of a very good blooming from Zephyrus Orchid's site: http://www.zephyrusorchids.com/ASSORTED/Sogo%20Diamond.jpg
and it was recently awarded by AOS by Zephyrus too

might not be there again if i don't find out soon. Sorry I haven't got a photo of the bloom b/c that would be strange of me to go back and photo it.

 

[Candace]

I'd prefer to spend the $50 and know what I'm getting. Really, since it's a noid it's a best guess and not worth it IMHO. Unless you're buying it as a gift and even then I wouldn't spend more than a couple of bucks for a noid. You will never know for sure what the cross/clone is.

You won't know if it's virus free unless you have it tested in a lab. That goes for the grocery store one and the nursery bought one. So many of these Taiwanese phals are full of virus that it's really a gamble. It's too bad too, because many of these are just gorgeous.

 

[Bolero]

I have no idea what all these measurements mean but here goes:

N = 9.0
NSV = 7.2
DSW = 4.4
DSL = 3.2
PW = 3.8
PL = 6.1
LSW = 3.9
LSL = 2.7
LPW = 2.9
LPL = 3.3

Is that what you were looking for? Not sure how helpful that could be as the flower size can vary with culture even if you have the same clone.

 

[Eric Muehlbauer]

Unless you are into breeding or showing, if you like it, get it! You want to look at blooms...not a name tag. if its just for your own pleasure, enjoy it for what it is.....Eric

 

[Hien]

I see Candace & Eric's view points.
-I would not buy a NOID in hope it is directly from a well known clone. A lot of these look alike plants are resulted of cloning of 2nd & 3rd or further generation remove from the original one (not from the real original one itself)
-however, you can buy a NOID that came from any unknown cross, if you really like the look.