First candidate for this month is new Catasetum hybrid - Catasetum Millie's Frilly Dragon 'Chocolate Frills' x Catasetum Dagny 'Windy Hill's Falcor' FCC/AOS.

This is a new unregistered hybrid.

Catasetum Millie's Frilly Dragon is Ctsm. Frilly Doris x Ctsm. Voodoo Dragon and registered by Fred Clarke in 2013.

Catasetum Dagny is Ctsm. pileatum x Ctsm. Brent's Black Hawk and registered by Fred Clarke in 2013.

Previous Awards:

There are 2 AOS awards for Catasetum Millie's Frilly Dragon.

There are 5 AOS awards for Catasetum Dagny.

Description:

Candidate plant has 11 flowers on one 47-cm inflorescence. Plant is 45-cm high by 47-cm wide and growing in 10-cm plastic pot in crushed tree fern.

Flower Measurements:

NS H - 9.5 cm;                   NS V -8.0 cm;

Dorsal Sep. W - 1.5 cm;    Dorsal Sep. L - 4.5 cm;

Petal W - 1.2 cm;               Petals L - 4.5 cm;

Lat/Sepal W - 2.0 cm;       Lat/Sepal L - 4.0 cm;

Lip/Pouch W - 4.7 cm;     Lip/Pouch L - 3.2 cm.

Judges' Comments

Ed Weber (Accredited Judge, Mid-Atlantic Judging Center)

Flowers are presented nicely on the inflorescence. 11 flowers are on the low end of the range for Millie's Frilly Dragon (MFD) but still within acceptable range especially considering there are only 2 awards against which to compare. Measurements are good compared to MFD as well. Petals are somewhat narrower than MFD but length is comparable. Dorsal sepal length is comparable but as with the petals the width is narrower.

For the most part the same can be said comparing this plant to Dagny. One can only assume that the shortcomings of the segment widths are a result of the genetic crap-shoot you get with seedlings.

Lip is comparable in size but I find it more aesthetically pleasing than either parent.

I find the color satisfactory but I am most impressed with the clarity of the chartreuse lip clearly inherited from the MFD parent. I can only imagine the fragrance this plant gives off! Overall, after a close physical inspection (avoiding the triggers of course!) I'd be inclined to nominate this plant but would not expect to score it more than a low AM mostly because of the flower count and the rolled margins of the petals. Is it an improvement over the parents? I can't say it is and I can't say it isn't, but I can say that this particular clone got some of the better attributes from both. 

Ed Weber
Mid-Atlantic, Accredited 

Al Messina (Accredited Judge, Northeast Judging Center)

Eleven good size, well colored flowers on one inflorescence is slightly low for the cross. The disturbing form of tepals (antecurved sepals, recurved petals), although symmetric, not desirable on this bloom.

Show again next year.

Judie Armstrong (Associate Judge, Florida North-Central Judging Center)

This flower from the cross has taken more characteristics from Millie’s Frilly Dragon.  It has a much better and prettier lip than either parent.  It has really good coloring and the flower size is on par with the parents.  I could give this cultivar a high HCC award.

Thank you,

Judie

Paul Wetter (Senior Judge, West Palm Beach Judging Center)

Thank you for submitting this very nice Catasetum hybrid of Millie’s Frilly Dragon ‘Chocolate Frills’ and Ctsm Dagny “Windy Hill’s Falcon”FCC/AOS.

This wonderful looking hybrid with great color and form. It displays many important features of its lineage with a rich color, good form and floriferousness.   I would estimate that at judging it would receive a mid to high AM.   

I’m interested in what others think.

Best Regards 

Paul Wetter

Deb Jenson (Student Judge, Chicago Judging Center)

This is a lovely Catasetum with distinct traits from both parents. The flowers on this orchid have a nice form with a broad expanded lip and an acute vertical presentation to the petals. The cupping seen on the parent Mille’s Frilly Dragon is not present on this hybrid, with the flatter form coming from parent Dagny. I do like the size and form of the lip, which is denticulate from the Mille’s Frilly Dragon, but picked up the size from the Dagny. I also find the coloring attractive, with the light green more prominent, making the cordovan spotting stand out, clearly a trait from the Mille’s Frilly Dragon. The flower size is in line with the parents, and the Catasetum pileatum which is the prominent species of this hybrid. I would like to see a higher flower count, improving the presentation and providing that desirable helix arrangement with Catasetum pileatum.

I do find this hybrid an improvement over the parents and would award this Catasetum with a high HCC. As the plant matures, it could score higher as it develops a higher flower count.

Kris Mason (Accredited Judge, Cincinnati Judging Center)

Presentation is slightly crowded, but not unexpected and nice; size is as expected except petal width is a touch narrow; flower count is a little low; Lip has beautiful in form and color, very nice; petals have nice markings, but is laterally very reflexed, more so than either parent, it almost completely covers the dorsal sepal; the lateral sepal color is OK, but not as nice as either parent, the edges are very cupped and are not a form improvement over either parent; while there are things I like about this flower, the form of the sepals and petals are problematic enough I would pass. 

Emily Quinn (Accredited Judge, Dallas Judging Center)

Looking at the parents, the cross is similar to Brent's Black Hawk without the brown S&P, but with the lip fringe from Millie. Several of Millie's Frilly Dragons express a chocolate coloration, others are spotted like this clone. It is hard to let go of the chocolate/burgundy colors of awarded clones of parents, But I find an appeal in the fine marginal spotting of the petals. Form is nice. metrics are acceptable.  I might be inclined to award this in the HCC range.

Bob Winkley (Accredited Judge, Northeast Judging Center)

Thank you for sending along this very lovely candidate. The flower is of good size. I love the markings on the petals and the lip's coloration is very attractive, especially around the callus. The fringe on the lip is quite consistent which also contributes to the pleasing nature of this flower.

I think there are three challenges with this plant. The first is that on a number of flowers the lateral sepals reflex considerably and in some they disappear behind the lip. When looking at the awards for both of the parents, the lateral sepals are more consistently held in the same plane as the petals and dorsal sepal. The second is the apical rolling under of the lip. The is likely coming from the Ctsm. Frilly Doris parent, but with Ctsm. pileatum predominant in both parents I have to believe that the goal here was to have a full, round, heavily fringed lip. Finally, the flower count on the candidate is similar to its Ctsm. Dagny parent, but Ctsm. Frilly Doris is capable of producing at least twice as many flowers on the inflorescence, so I think the floriferousness of this candidate is not quite meeting expectations.

Looking at the flowering growth, it appears to be a little smaller than the previous growth. I'd love for this plant to return to the judging table when it has had a chance to put on a much more substantial pseudobulb as I think that would probably solve the flower count issue and possibly mitigate the others.

At this time I would not nominate it for scoring.

All the best - 

Bob W.

Joe Bryson (Accredited Judge, Florida North-Central Judging Center)

This plant has excellent color and very uniform fringing around the lip. The form is good and overall it complements the two awarded parents. I note that Ctsm. Dagny is extremely variable, but all pretty nice. Presentation is pleasing as well. I would score this in the mid range AM. Looks like Fred is still going strong.

Jay Balchan (Immediate Past AOS President; Student Judge, Alamo Judging Center)

What a really nice flower! It definitely has great characteristics from both parents with the frilly lip from the Frilly Dragon and the size and darker color from Dagny. The flowers are really well presented and a great size, about the average of all the awards. This is definitely scorable! This would be a super plant to show non orchid growers all the weird and wonderful flowers that this hobby includes. And get them to stick their finger in the middle of the plant! 

Elena Skoropad (Accredited Judge, Northeast Judging Center)

I really like this cross. It took all good things from both parents: gorgeous fringed lip from Millie’s Frilly Dragon, excellent cordovan color from Dagny, also size is in the same range as parents. Nicely spotted dorsal and sepals/petals. Very pleasant combination of color and contrasting lime yellow lip. The lip is a focal point, very attractive. The inflorescence is long, the flowers arranged nicely. However, the number of flowers is on the lower side. Both parents are capable of producing up to 20 plus flowers per inflorescence. It appears to be a first bloom for our candidate; hopefully it will produce more flowers on the next bloom. I like this cross and I would nominate it for a flower quality award. My score would be in high HCC / low AM range. The lower flower count precluded from scoring in mid AM. 

Kudos to the grower! Nicely done!

Thank you,

Elena

Exhibitor - Bill Stender, PA

Virtual Award Description

Grower's Advice

All my catesetenae alliance are grown in New Zealand crushed tree fern in my greenhouse with summer highs in the low 90s and winter lows in the mid 50s. I treat them like everyone else does with copious amounts of water and fertilizer (including time release) and a dry winter rest. I like the tree fern because it does not break down and repotting is just slipping them into a larger pot