Phrag Chuck Acker

[gore42]

This plant seems to be almost permanently in bloom for me. It actually took a 5 month rest between bloomings, this time... but prior to that, it would bloom every 3 months, and would bloom for around 2 months on a spike.

Anyway, I brought this plant out to experiment a bit more with those 3D flash things, but after I took it out, I decided that the plant was too big to work with and settled for these.

Here's the first open bloom on the spike:

And here's a close up of the teeth. This particular plant is 3N, which I imagine is why it is so vigorous. I've been told that the teeth on the lip, like this, is a result of polyploidy, but I don't know whether that is an established fact.

I also have Phag Eric Young 'Rocket Fire' 4N in bloom, but the blooms are pretty ugly. Mine has never bloomed as well as the pictures I've seen on Chuck Ackers (and others') pages. Very droopy looking. I must be doing something wrong...

As Ever,
Matthew Gore

 

[kentuckiense]

Looks spectacular! What kind of leaf span on that thing?

 

[Marco]

Nice phrag Matt. The color is great. How big are the flowers on this one?

 

[gore42]

Thanks guys

This is a somewhat large plant, actually. The blooming growth is about 70cm wide (about 27.5 inches), and this plant has 6 or 7 growths.

The spike is 67 cm tall, and the petals of this bloom are 14 cm long (about 5.5 inches), give or take a cm. Since the dorsal sepal is angled forward, it doesn't add a whole lot of height to the bloom, so overall, the bloom is only about 19cm tall.

- Matt

 

[Heather]

Thanks guys

This is a somewhat large plant, actually. The blooming growth is about 70cm wide (about 27.5 inches), and this plant has 6 or 7 growths.

- Matt

Hrm...must be some longifolium in that thar Phrag!
I like it, and I don't mind teeth as much as some do.

 

[Greenpaph]

I love it, Matt!

thanks

 

[NYEric]

Nice flower. Who minds teeth as long as she's careful? E.

 

[SlipperFan]

Gorgeous, Matt! Great color.

 

[Rick]

Is the "teeth" on the lip a possible ploidy question for all phrags or just this clone?

I have what is supposed to be a richteri that has blooms not much bigger than a big pearcei, but with extra pigment and obvious teeth on the lip.

Could this be a polyploid pearcei?

 

[bwester]

Nice plant Matt!

 

[Gideon]

Fabolous plant Matt

 

[gore42]

Rick,

I don't know anything specifically about how the teeth are related to polyploidy, or even whether they actually are. I do find that many of my polyploid phrags have them, but that's about the extent of my knowledge on the matter, aside from some rumors. The rumors also claim that jagged petal edges are a result of polyploidy.

Here's another example, on an old photo.

This one also has some serious teeth, and its 4N. (Twilight x China Dragon). However, both of these orchids have Phrag Eric Young 'Rising Rocket' 4N in their background, so we would expect some similarity anyway.

Here is the Eric Young on a blooming last year; I attributed its poor form to having been recently divided at the time, but it's not any better this year. If anyone knows what might help just by looking at it, any suggestions would be appreciated.

Anyway, if anyone has any definitive information about teeth, I'd be glad to hear it.

- Matt

 

[Heather]

Chuck's has them too.
http://www.flasksbychuckacker.com/images/image_pages/EricYoung4N.htm

 

[Ron-NY]

very nice Matt!!

 

[gore42]

Heather, mine is a division of Chuck's plant... it just doesnt seem to have such a nice petal stance. Don't know why... *sigh*

- Matt

 

[Heather]

Ah ha! A division... Got it then.

Maybe a good breeder? Or...?

 

[SlipperFan]

Gorgeous colors. Let us know what you find out about the teeth.