Rlc. Ploenpit Golden Delight - A Big Yellow Cattleya

Rlc. Ploenpit Golden Delight is a bright, canary yellow Cattleya, typically with concolour yellow petals and faint red throat markings on the lip. As with many Cattleyas, the variability in this grex can be startlingly quite different, with some having a red splotch on the lip in lieu of the faint red/orange markings on the throat of the orchid.

Rhyncholaeliocattleya Ploenpit Golden Delight - a yellow and faintly red lipped Cattleya orchid.

I usually give yellow Cattleyas a miss (read - avoid them like the plague) as they have several issues attached to them that may result in the loss of the plant or the interest in the plant after some time. However, since the flower of this grex is quite stunning and my mum loves bright coloured flowers (Hmmm, I just realised that most of my orchids are yellow in colour or in shades of reds and yellows), I guess I will showcase this hybrid here.

Rlc. Ploenpit Golden Delight or formerly Blc. Ploenpit Golden Delight is a tough cookie to photograph if you want to get the intensity of the yellow as well as the fine venation on the lips - seen here with a black background.

Yellow Cattleyas are not difficult for tropical growers, but they are prone to sulking severely when repotted and also prone to black pseudobulb rot if kept too moist in decaying potting media, besides some genetic issues that can affect the appearance of the flower.

The lips of Rlc. Ploenpit Golden Delight is not purely yellow in colour. There are red/orange lines that outline sections of the lip. The plants were on sale during MAHA 2012, and a large plant (blooming size) was less than RM20! The joy of tissue culture is the large-scale production of plants which makes them cheap.

Yellow Cattleya hybrids, especially those with a high percentage of C. dowiana in its parentage can be pretty susceptible to black rot if the potting media is too moist. To add to the problem, repotting these plants when there is no new pseudobulb growth will result in a period with no root growth. So if the roots are not in good shape and needs to be pruned off, then you are stuck with a plant that won't make new roots until the next growth emerges, requiring careful misting to prevent the bulbs from becoming severely dessicated.

Another issue with yellow Cattleyas is the tendency for its petals to go crippled as the plant ages. Crippling of orchid flowers can be due to many factors, one of them being the genetics of the parent plants involved in the cross. This 'genetic aberration' can be seen in some Vandas and in yellow Cattleyas. Crippling results in the thickening of the petal tissue, usually along the long axis of the petal, as if the petal is attempting to differentiate into another flower part.

Another attempt to capture the delightfully yellow flowers of Rlc. Ploenpit Golden Delight. This hyrid has been used as both pod and pollen parents for further improvement on yellow and red crosses of Cattleyas.

In Cattleyas, crippling of petals due to genetics seems to be age related - with crippling becoming more severe as the plant ages. An interesting article regarding crippling in art shades and yellow Cattleyas that is worth reading up is by Ron Midgett, published in the Bulletin of the American Orchid Society, June 2010 titled A Genetic Problem in Yellow and Art-Shade Cattleyas.

Despite the drawbacks of using C. dowiana, it has several good characteristics that gets passed down to its offspring, namely clarity of petal and sepal colour and a pleasant strong scent. C. dowiana is also known to impart beautiful venation of the lips to its offspring, and is very dominant in this sense. These venation are, unfortunately not visible unless inspected closely in Rlc. Ploenpit Golden Delight, for they are of the same colour as the background.

A yellow orchid on the balcony - Rlc. Ploenpit Golden Delight. They remind some people of large daffodils.

Unfortunately, C. dowiana also gives its progeny sepals that slowly curl backwards as the flowers age,  thus forming a cigar-like tube; this destroys the flatness and the fullness of the bloom. This petal curl is present in Rlc. Ploenpit Golden Delight, which sadly is also weakly scented despite having many beautifully scented parents in its lineage besides C. dowiana.

Listed below are the parentage of Rlc. Ploenpit Golden Delight [syn. Rsc./Blc. Ploenpit Golden Delight]. The asterisks^*, apetail^@ and hash^# symbols indicate the parentage of a particular grex that has been described to the root (the primary hybrids).

Rlc. Ploenpit Golden Delight = Rlc. Chaweewan Greengold x Rlc. Siam Gold

Date of Registration - 10/11/1998
Registrant Name - B.Pumploenpit
Originator Name - M.Srisook

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Pod Parent (Maternal)

Rlc. Chaweewan Greengold = Rlc. Green Hood x Rlc. Destiny

Rlc. Green Hood = Rlc. Green Eagles x Rlc. Mount Hood

Rlc. Green Eagles = Rlc. Golden Slippers x C. Christopher Gubler

Rlc. Golden Slippers = Rlc. Helen Morita x Rlc. Golden Galleon [syn. Rsc. Golden Galleon]

Rlc. Helen Morita = Rlc. Gillian x Rlc. Consul Greig

Rlc. Gillian = Rlc. Lotus x C. President Wilson (1918) [syn. Lc. President Wilson]

Rlc. Lotus = Rlc. Digbyano-mossiae x Cattleya rex

Rlc. Digbyano-mossiae = Rhyncholaelia digbyana [syn. Brassavola digbyana] x Cattleya mossiae


Rlc. Destiny = Rlc. Xanthette x Rlc. Primate

^***Rlc. Xanthette = Rlc. Midenette x Rlc. Xanthedo

Rlc. Midenette = Rlc. Zante x ^*C. Mrs. Medo [syn. Lc. Mrs. Medo]

Rlc. Zante = Rlc. Sofrano x ^**C. Luminosa (1901) [syn. Lc. Luminosa]

^*****Rlc. Sofrano = Rlc. Mrs. J. Leemann x C. Iridescens

^******Rlc. Mrs. J. Leemann = Rhyncholaelia digbyana [syn. B. digbyana] x Cattleya dowiana


Rlc. Mount Hood = Rlc. Déesse x C. Claris

Rlc. Déesse = Rlc. Ferrières x C. Lamartine

Rlc. Ferrières = Rhyncholaelia digbyana [syn. B. digbyana] x C. Dionysius


C. Christopher Gubler = C. Memoria Albert Heinecke x Cattleya aclandiae

C. Memoria Albert Heinecke = C. Grandee (1937) [syn. Lc. Grandee] x C. S. J. Bracey [syn. Lc. S. J. Bracey]

C. Grandee (1937) [syn. Lc. Grandee] = C. Mrs. Medo x C. Aeneas

^*C. Mrs. Medo [syn. Lc. Mrs. Medo] = C. Luminosa (1901) [syn. Lc. Luminosa] x ^********C. Venus (1908)

^**C. Luminosa (1901) [syn. Lc. Luminosa] = Cattleya dowiana x Cattleya tenebrosa [syn. Laelia tenebrosa]


Rlc. Golden Galleon [syn. Rsc. Golden Galleon] = ^***Rlc. Xanthette x Rlc. Camilla


Rlc. Consul Greig = Rlc. Golden Crown x ^****C. Thyone (1912) [syn. Lc. Thyone]

^**********Rlc. Golden Crown = Rlc. Joan x ^********C. Venus (1908)

Rlc. Joan = Rlc. Mrs. M. Gratrix (1899) [syn. Bl. Mrs. M. Gratrix] x C. Octave Doin

^*********Rlc. Mrs. M. Gratrix (1899) [syn. Bl. Mrs. M. Gratrix] = Rhyncholaelia digbyana  [syn. B. digbyana] x Cattleya cinnabarina [syn. L. cinnabarina]


C. President Wilson (1918) [syn. Lc. President Wilson] = C. Thyone (1912) [syn. Lc. Thyone] x Cattleya dowiana

^****C. Thyone (1912) [syn. Lc. Thyone] = C. Ophir [syn. Lc. Ophir] x Cattleya dowiana

^*******C. Ophir [syn. Lc. Ophir] = Cattleya dowiana x Cattleya xanthina [syn. L. xanthina]


Rlc. Primate = Rlc. Primrose x Rlc. Heatonensis

Rlc. Primrose = Rlc. Impératrice de Russie [syn. Bc. Impératrice de Russie] x C. Primrose [syn. Lc. Primrose]

Rlc. Impératrice de Russie [syn. Bc. Impératrice de Russie] = Rhyncholaelia digbyana  [syn. B. digbyana] x Cattleya mendelii


Rlc. Xanthedo = Rlc. Xanthea x ^*C. Mrs. Medo [syn. Lc. Mrs. Medo]

Rlc. Xanthea = Rlc. The Baroness x ^*****Rlc. Sofrano

Rlc. The Baroness = ^******Rlc. Mrs. J. Leemann x ^*******C. Ophir [syn. Lc. Ophir]


^##C. Iridescens = Cattleya bicolor x Cattleya eldorado [syn. Cattleya wallisii]


C. Claris = C. Clementine Goldfarb x C. Eucharis

C. Clementine Goldfarb = C. Cybele (1902) x C. Snowdon

C. Cybele (1902) = Cattleya gaskelliana x Cattleya lueddemanniana


C. Lamartine = C. Lord Rothschild x Cattleya trianae

^{*************}C. Lord Rothschild = Cattleya dowiana x Cattleya gaskelliana


C. Dionysius = C. Fabia (1894) x Cattleya warscewiczii

C. Fabia (1894) = Cattleya dowiana x Cattleya labiata


C. S. J. Bracey [syn. Lc. S. J. Bracey] = ^*C. Mrs. Medo [syn. Lc. Mrs. Medo] x C. Thebes


C. Aeneas = Cattleya dowiana x ^********C. Venus (1908)


^********C. Venus (1908) = Cattleya dowiana x C. Iris (1901)


Rlc. Camilla = Rlc. Zamilla x Rlc. Capella (1938)

Rlc. Zamilla = Rlc. Ophelia x C. Weedonaurea

^#Rlc. Ophelia = Rlc. Tucuman x ^**C. Luminosa (1901) [syn. Lc. Luminosa]

Rlc. Tucuman = Rlc. Cooksonii x C. Rhoda (1908)

Rlc. Cooksonii = ^*********Rlc. Mrs. M. Gratrix (1899) [syn. Bl. Mrs. M. Gratrix] x Cattleya dowiana


^{**************}C. Octave Doin = Cattleya dowiana x Cattleya mendelii


Rlc. Heatonensis = Rhyncholaelia digbyana [syn. B. digbyana] x ^***********C. Hardyana (1896)


C. Primrose [syn. Lc. Primrose] = C. Trimyra [syn. Lc. Trimyra] x Cattleya schroderae

C. Trimyra [syn. Lc. Trimyra] = C. Myra (1895) [syn. Lc. Myra] x Cattleya trianae

C. Myra (1895) [syn. Lc. Myra] = Cattleya trianae x Cattleya crispata [syn. L. flava]


C. Eucharis = C. Cowaniae x Cattleya mossiae

C. Cowaniae = C. Intertexta x Cattleya mossiae

C. Intertexta = Cattleya mossiae x Cattleya warneri


C. Snowdon = Cattleya labiata x C. Suzanne Hye


C. Thebes = C. Adula x Cattleya dowiana

C. Adula = Cattleya bicolor x ^***********C. Hardyana (1896)


^************C. Iris (1901) = Cattleya bicolor x Cattleya dowiana


Rlc. Capella (1938) = Rlc. Golden Queen x C. Orebus [syn. Lc. Orebus]

Rlc. Golden Queen = ^**********Rlc. Golden Crown x C. Miguelito



C. Weedonaurea = Cattleya aurea x C. Weedoniensis (1899)


C. Rhoda (1908) = C. Hardyana (1896) x ^************C. Iris (1901)

^***********C. Hardyana (1896) = Cattleya dowiana x Cattleya warscewiczii


C. Suzanne Hye = Cattleya gaskelliana x Cattleya mossiae


C. Orebus [syn. Lc. Orebus] = C. Appam [syn. Lc. Appam] x ^********C. Venus (1908)

C. Appam [syn. Lc. Appam] = C. Scylla (1909) [syn. Lc. Scylla] x Cattleya dowiana

C. Scylla (1909) [syn. Lc. Scylla] = C. Cappei (1889) [syn. Lc. Cappei] x ^{*************}C. Lord Rothschild

C. Cappei (1889) [syn. Lc. Cappei] = Cattleya warscewiczii x Cattleya cinnabarina [syn. Laelia/Sophronitis cinnabarina]


C. Miguelito = Cattleya dowiana x ^{**************}C. Octave Doin


C. Weedoniensis (1899) = Cattleya granulosa x Cattleya mendelii

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Pollen Parent (Paternal)
Rlc. Siam Gold = Rlc. Gloria Schmidt x C. Doc Stacy [syn. Lc. Doc Stacy]

Rlc. Gloria Schmidt = Rlc. Blanche Okamoto x Rlc. Ophelosa

Rlc. Blanche Okamoto = C. Canberra [syn. Lc. Canberra] x Rlc. Nanette

^###C. Canberra [syn. Lc. Canberra] = C. Litana [syn. Lc. Litana] x ^********C. Venus (1908)

C. Litana [syn. Lc. Litana] = ^****C. Thyone (1912) x C. Sibyl (1914)


C. Doc Stacy [syn. Lc. Doc Stacy] = C. Edgard Van Belle [syn. Lc. Edgard Van Belle] x C. Lorraine Shirai [syn. Lc. Lorraine Shirai]

C. Edgard Van Belle [syn. Lc. Edgard Van Belle] = C. Cloth of Gold [syn. Lc. Cloth of Gold] x C. Gallipoli [syn. Lc. Gallipoli]

C. Cloth of Gold [syn. Lc. Cloth of Gold] = C. Firminii (1909) [syn. Lc. Firminii] x C. Verviers [syn. Lc. Verviers]

C. Firminii (1909) [syn. Lc. Firminii] = C. Ceres (1900) [syn. Lc. Ceres] x Cattleya dowiana

C. Ceres (1900) [syn. Lc. Ceres] = C. Hippolyta [syn. Lc. Hippolyta] x Cattleya mossiae

C. Hippolyta [syn. Lc. Hippolyta] = Cattleya mossiae x Cattleya cinnabarina [syn. L./Soph. cinnabarina]


Rlc. Ophelosa = ^#Rlc. Ophelia x C. Mimosa


Rlc. Nanette = Rlc. Everest (1914) x C. Annette (1919)

Rlc. Everest (1914) = ^******Rlc. Mrs. J. Leemann x C. Canhamiana [syn. Lc. Canhamiana]


C. Sibyl (1914) = Cattleya dowiana x ^##C. Iridescens


C. Lorraine Shirai [syn. Lc Lorraine Shirai] = C. Derna x ^**C. Luminosa (1901) [syn. Lc. Luminosa]

C. Derna = C. Nugget [syn. Lc. Nugget] x Cattleya dowiana

C. Nugget [syn. Lc. Nugget] = ^###C. Canberra [syn. Lc. Canberra] x ^*C. Mrs. Medo [syn. Lc Mrs. Medo]


C. Gallipoli [syn. Lc. Gallipoli] = C. Carmencita [syn. Lc. Carmencita] x C. Suvla [syn. Lc. Suvla]

C. Carmencita [syn. Lc. Carmencita] = ^**C. Luminosa (1901) [syn. Lc. Luminosa] x Cattleya dowiana


C. Verviers [syn. Lc. Verviers] = C. Purple Emperor [syn. Lc. Purple Emperor] x ^{**************}C. Octave Doin

C. Purple Emperor [syn. Lc. Purple Emperor] = C. Callistoglossa [syn. Lc. Callistoglossa] x Cattleya warscewiczii

C. Callistoglossa [syn. Lc. Callistoglossa = Cattleya warscewiczii x Cattleya purpurata [syn. L. purpurata]


C. Mimosa = C. Triumphans x ^********C. Venus (1908)

C. Triumphans = Cattleya dowiana x Cattleya rex


C. Annette (1919) = Cattleya quadricolor x Cattleya warscewiczii


C. Canhamiana [syn. Lc. Canhamiana] = Cattleya mossiae x Cattleya purpurata [syn. L. purpurata]


C. Suvla [syn. Lc. Suvla] = C. Endymion (1902) [syn. Lc. Endymion] x Cattleya dowiana

C. Endymion (1902) [syn. Lc. Endymion] = Cattleya gaskelliana x Cattleya tenebrosa [syn. L. tenebrosa]


List of abbreviations:
L. = Laelia, Soph. = Sophronitis, C. = Cattleya, B. = Brassavola, Bl. = Brassolaelia, Bc. = Brassocattleya, Lc. = Laeliocattleya, Rlc. = Rhyncholaeliocattleya, Rsc. = Rhynchosophrocattleya, Blc. = Brassolaeliocattleya

Recent taxanomic revisions of the Cattleya alliance has resulted in Sophronitis being reduced to a synonym of Cattleya by the International Orchid Committee, thus extinguishing the nothogenus Rhynchosophrocattleya, Potinara, Sophrolaeliocattleya and Sophrocattleya.

Colours of the 19th Shah Alam Orchid Festival (FASA-19)

The 19^th Shah Alam Orchid Festival (Festival Anggerik Shah Alam ke-19 aka FASA19) is currently on at SACC Mall in Shah Alam from the 6^th - 9^th of December 2012. The theme for this year is Dendrobiums, hence there's a whole lot of Dendrobiums placed on the centre court of the shopping complex atrium.

The best plant award goes to a Dendrobium macrophyllum - the flowers are a little 'scary' with hairy buds and pedicels, but pretty in an ugly duckling way. Also, this specimen plant is huge.

The first day (6th Dec) is when they set up the show plants and the judging of these plants takes place. There is a stall that sells orchids located in the vicinity of the exhibition area for those who want to increase their orchid collection or have decided to delved into growing orchids as a hobby.

Vascostylis Prapawan - the label says Asco. Prapawan, which is incorrect. This is a vividly blue-lilac Vascostylis that comes from crossing Vascostylis Tham Yuan Hae with Vanda coerulea.

So here are a few pics of the plants on show. I will upload more as I go through the 200 over photos of orchids in various shapes, sizes and colours.

Rhyncholaeliocattleya (syn. Brassolaeliocattleya) Chia Lin - this is the 1st place winner for its category. It is a large-flowerded Cattleya type, and various clones of this hybrid exist. The tag reads Blc Cairling or something that sounds like that. Poor flower, her name got mangled by its owner or the seller.

Rhyncholaeliocattleya (syn. Brassolaeliocattleya) King of Taiwan. Another winner (2nd place) and a showy red-burgundy coloured Cattleya.

Here's another beautiful Cattleya-type orchid with its name 'mangled' by its owner or the seller. I took one glance at the flower and thought it was one that I had seen before. Took a second look, and then checked the tag. The tag (you can see it in the picture) reads something like Crime Sin Rozles. Based on the appearance of the flower and how the name got 'mangled' it should be the lovely Rhyncholaeliocattleya Memoria Crispin Rosales. A real Crime Sin indeed!!!

Vascostylis Pearl Cooper - the tag gives the name as a cross of Rhynchostylis coelestis x Ascocenda Pralor. I love how the yellow petals look so good with the reddish-orange lip.

An unnamed hybrid in the exhibition. It looks like a Rhyncovola (syn Brassavola) David Sanders, based on the lip and the leaves on the plant.

Vandachostylis (syn Rhynchovanda) Herbert Kurihara - this is the 1st place winner for the Vascostylis/Ascocenda category. The plant was labeled as Vascostylis Kulihara! The parents of this cross are Vanda Winifred Kurihara and Rhynchostylis coelestis. Vanda Winifred Kurihara is a 3/4 terete Vanda made by crossing Vanda Nellie Morley with Vanda Miss Joaquim. The white outline on the petals and sepals plus the darker chartreuse-quartered lateral sepals of Vandachostylis Herbert Kurihara are reminiscent of Vanda Nellie Morley.

Dendrobium venustum - and interesting Dendrobium species with frilly lips and long cascading inflorescence.

Ascocenda Somsri Gold. A beautiful lime green-lemon yellow large-flowered Ascocenda that looks like a Vanda.

For the Vascostylis/Ascocenda category, the first and third place were taken by two diffferent clones of Vandachostylis Herbert Kurihara (both labeled wrongly, one as Vascostylis Kulihara and the other as Vascostylis Herbert Kulihara). The second place went to a Vascostylis Prapawan (labeled as an Ascocenda!). There were two Vasco. Prapawan and two Vandachostylis Herbert Kurihara entered in this category.

So if you have some time to spare, and love orchids, do drop by Shah Alam City Centre (SACC) Mall this weekend to have a look at the orchids on display there for the 19^th Shah Alam Orchid Show (FASA-19).