Some time back I registered a primary hybrid, Coelogyne
Kirribillli Marie, using Coelogyne mooreana ‘Brockhurst’ and Coelogyne
usitana. The flowers were very pretty but dominated by Coelogyne mooreana’s
genes and the very downward facing flowers of Coelogyne usitana. Later, I crossed Coelogyne mooreana with Coelogyne celebensis because the latter had
similar extremely dark and rich colourings to Coelogyne usitana but more
importantly it had a very upright flower spike rather than Coelogyne
usitana’s extremely pendulous flowers that were produced very sequentially
over many, many months.
The resulting new flower is even more dominated by
Coelogyne mooreana. The flowers are a rich, velvety white and the throat and
inside lobes are extensively covered with a rich golden colouring that
extends through to small areas on the outsides of the mid-lobes. Small hints
of the same colour come through on the tip of the column. There are five
long very evenly and clearly defined keels. In Coelogyne Kirribilli Marie
the column and both inside and outside of the lip are totally covered in a
rich orange inherited from Coelogyne usitana.
Coelogyne mooreana, itself often described as the ‘queen of
Coelogynes’ has very strongly dominated the colouring in this hybrid.
The heteranthous flower spike is very upright and
closely sequentially blooming with one flower opening as the previous one
dies. At 12cm across the flower has significantly improved in size.
Coelogyne celebensis has passed on its large
psuedobulbs and also the very large, many-veined leaves.
This hybrid was pollinated 5.2.2011, flasked a year
later on 4.1.2012, deflasked on 31.3.2013 and produced its first flowers on
15.10.2017. It will be named in honour of my sister-in-law, Janet
Dixon-Smith, another devoted gardener and orchid lover.
Negatives: This is a strong robust plant and its only weakness could be sensitivity to frost..
Rating: ♦♦♦♦ This is an attractive, open upright flowering plant with bright attractive and long-lasting flowers.
Registration: Registration with the RHS as Coelogyne Kirribilli Janet Dixon-Smith was recorded in September 2018.
Varieties: None known.
Hybrids: None registered
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