The first flowers (8 to 9cm across) are attractive with crisp, appealing, contrasting colours. It is very droopy and downward facing like its pod parent. The more erect nature of the pollen parent has not carried through. A very dark throat is inherited from both parents as is an expanded area of clean whitish green on the lip. The sharply pointed lip has been inherited from the father (Coelogyne fragrans) as has the brightly coloured column - an identifying feature between Coelogyne fragrans and its closely related and often confusing Coelogyne carinata which has a green column.
I have remade the above registered hybrid (and quite a few others) because they are not freely available in Australia. As part of the hybridising ethics of plant breeding, any hybrid that is recreated using the same or variations of the originally registered parents is obliged to retain the same original registered name. However, I could, if I wished give it a tag to add to its name. I chose 'Kirribilli' in this example so the plant will be labeled, Coelogyne Neroli Cannon 'Kirribilli'. In this way the plant is acknowledged as already created and registered but may be slightly different to the original. Such plants are often referred to in the trade as a 'remake'. My comments on this page only refer to my 'remake' and not the original - which I have not been able to obtain!
Negatives: My plants have inherited the very droopy trait from its mother (Coelogyne speciosa). The mother is an extremely popular and widely grown Coelogyne so this in itself is not necessarily a reason to reject it. Most hybrids have a very advantageous hybrid vigour which causes them to be bigger, faster growing and tougher than their parents.
Rating: ♦♦♦ I like the clean crisp colour zones. It is a pity its flowers are so 'droopy' when its pollen parent is so much more erect. It has a lot of work to do to compete with either of its parents but if you come across it and have space it is an attractive plant.
Coelogyne fragrans and Coelogyne carinata are often confused and often very similar. I have remade this hybrid (using Coelogyne fragrans) and also made Coelogyne Kirribilli Norm using the same pod parent (Coelogyne speciosa) but with Coelogyne carinata. Despite the confusion of the pollen parents I am surprised at the difference between the two hybrid off-spring.
Registration: Registration with the RHS was approved in October 1981 for the original hybrid made by D. M. Cannon, Victoria, Australia.
Varieties: None known.
Hybrids: None registered
| < Coel Mem W Micholitz | Coel Orchideengarten Saskia > |