Holridestylis TLDC Shy Virgin
Week 119: February 3, 2025
Holridestylis TLDC Shy Virgin
(Holcorides TLDC Angel Hug
x
Rhynchostylis gigantea)

New plant in February 2025 is Holridestylis TLDC Shy Virgin (Holcorides TLDC Angel Hug x Rhynchostylis gigantea).
Holridestylis TLDC Shy Virgin was originated and registered by Taiwan LDC in 2017.
This cross has three species in the background: Rhynchostylis gigantea - 50.00%, Holcoglossum flavescens - 25.00% and Aerides odorata - 25.00%.
Previous Awards:
There are no AOS awards for this cross. There are no AOS awards for genus Holridestylis at all!
There are no AOS awards for Holcorides TLDC Angel Hug.
There are 215 AOS awards for Rhynchostylis gigantea!
Description:
The candidate has 17 flowers on two inflorescences. Plant is 23-cm wide by 20-cm high. Plant growing in larger bark in net pot sitting inside a clear slip pot.
Flower Measurements:
NS H - 3.5 cm; NS V - 3.5 cm;
Dorsal Sep. W - 1.3 cm; Dorsal Sep. L - 1.8 cm;
Petal W - 1.0 cm; Petals L - 1.7 cm;
Lat/Sepal W - 1.3 cm; Lat/Sepal L - 1.8 cm;
Lip/Pouch W - 1.5 cm; Lip/Pouch L - 2.0 cm
(Lip is 2,0 cm with the spur, 1,6 cm from the base of the flower)
Judges' Comments
Al Messina (Accredited Judge, Northeast Judging Center)
Great pot plant with nice flowers of reasonable size on a relatively small plant. Should sell well at Lowes or Home Depot.
Unfortunately, it seems it was short-changed on the floriferous gene (Rhyncostylis and Aerides produce about 40 flowers per inflorescence, Holcoglossum, only about 3-4) by dominant Holcoglossum. One might consider Award of Distinction for new direction in breeding, if not previously granted.
Deb Jenson (Student Judge, Chicago Judging Center)
What an interesting and beautiful hybrid. It blends all the genera beautifully; the plant has the form of a Rhynchostylis, though more compact, the flower form and coloring from the Holcoglossum, and perhaps a bit of the more rounded lateral sepals from the Aerides.
I find this hybrid very appealing; the large and well-presented flower display on a compact plant makes the flower the star of the show, and having two inflorescences only amplifies that. The flowers look relatively flat, and the rounder lateral sepals give it a fuller form.
The color is the real bonus; the colorful lip offsets the white petals and sepals. The lip is spectacular with the multiple colors, striations, and the waterfall pattern on the mid lobe. The lip has combined the traits of the Holcoglossum for the shape and color but inherited the interesting striations from both the Holcoglossum and the Rhynchostylis.
My only drawback is that this is neither stellate nor round and full. If the petals were fuller, it would remove the windowing and fill this out. I would have liked a photo of the flower from the back to see the form of the flower better.
I would award this plant and score it in the low AM range.
Paul Wetter (Senior Judge, West Palm Beach Judging Center)
Thank you for submitting this lovely Vandanaceaous hybrid Holridestylis TLDC Shy Virgin. The flowers have an interesting form and color contrast with a striking lip that is well presented on the councilor background of the sepals and petals a form approaching its heritage in flavescens and contrasting lip color from odorata and gigantic. Since this cross has never been awarded and I would consider it for judging and it might qualify for a low AM AWARD based on color and form but I’m more interested in seeing how this develop over time due to the background of Gigantea. There is potential as a larger specimen plant for Culture recognition. So would encourage keep growing and bring back even if awarded at this time. Maybe it is “Shy” and needs more time.
Best Regards
Paul Wetter
Steve González-Costa (Accredited Judge, Chicago Judging Center)
Very nice flowers with the raspberry and some yellow colored lip and column. I don’t think that you could get many more flowers in a Holridestylis, as even in Vandachostylis you might only get 12-20 few flowers per inflorescences – maybe a couple more per inflorescence. Typically, a Holcoglossum flavecens might have only 6 flowers. Presentation is pretty nice, crowded, but not having each flower on top of each other. Form is ok, in line with the flavecens parent and Aerides odorata petals are not perfect, round, flat, or larger. What I do see is that the hybrid has good size especially over the dominant flavecens parent and slightly larger by 2-6 mm than the typical Aerides and Rhynchostylis parents. So, not a bad flower, fairly flat, improved over parents, will never be more than a mini. My biggest issue is whether if the plant was not so desiccated, whether it would improve slightly in performance of the flower count and add a flower or there? Because of that I would consider scoring, and maybe it would get a low 75 point HCC that could be elevated in the future or if other flowers of this hybrid showed all the potential.
Tom Mirenda (Accredited Judge, Hawaii Judging Center)
OK! I must admit that the touting of intergenerics between Vanda and Holcoglossum has left me a little underwhelmed.
While I can see the 'promise' of miniature vandaceous hybrids that could be produced this way, I hadn't really seen anything that bowled me over. This hybrid shatters that attitude for me. Aside from being pretty and floriferous, it has a lovely presentation, and nice, round, reasonably flat flowers with attractive coloration. I could easily see a quality award from this specimen, but ideally, I would like to see an AQ from this grex.
Breeders regularly select, exhibit and ultimately clone the best results of their breeding. That may be the case here. It would be very informative to see the range and gamut of what this cross produces. In the absence of that opportunity, I could see this scoring in the High HCC / Low AM range. I would consider a higher award, but only after seeing additional clones. There may be better or worse ones out there, I want to be conservative before gushing over one plant, while there may be many even better ones out there.
Emily Quinn (Accredited Judge, Dallas Judging Center)
Contemplating Shy Virgin was interesting. No awards or picture on one of the parents. However, reviewing M S Sunlight was helpful. Rhy. parent increased the NS of the flower, did increase flower count and colored the column and lip. Shy Virgin did not however get the nice presentation from Aer or Rhy. Holc. flavescens dominated for general form, and S/P color. While the flowers were fairly flat, I wish the petal margins were cleaner. The fading of the stippling at the distal margin of the lip could be ok or not depending on the opinion of the judge. Looking at M S Sunlight 'Diamond Orchids' HCC 76pts, I find this cousin to be marginal due to slightly lower flower count, irregular petal margins, and less suffused lip.
Mary Cash (Associate Judge, Alamo Judging Center)
The subject is a compact orchid that is well presented and well grown. The flowers are flat and well formed.
They are evenly positioned in a clustering staircase spiral fashion along each of the inflorescences.
Each of the flowers are facing outwardly with adequate spacing. The flowers are quite impressive, but the flowers count appears to be lower than its potential. With a little time, this orchid has a future of exhibiting anywhere from 20-50+ flowers on a single inflorescence. The leaves appear to be healthy and well formed.
They are thinner (width) than the gigantea parent. The inflorescences are beginning to arch and with time will exhibit the fox-tail characteristic of the gigantea parent.
The subject appears to be a young plant exhibiting flower count of less than ten flowers on each of the individual inflorescences. This orchid has great potential and I would like to see it back after another blooming. At judging,
I would expect it to be recognized with an award of a HCC.
Mary Cash
Associate Judge
Alamo Judging Center
Joe Bryson (Accredited Judge, Florida North-Central Judging Center)
I think this is a delightful cross. The color is a crisp combination with its white, overlaid magenta markings on the lip, dark column and anther cap on pristine white sepals and petals. It also has a good round form and is aesthetically pleasing. Unfortunately for me, the flowers are a little too reflexed and fenestrated for me to consider awarding it on this blooming. I do think this grex has good hybridizing potential.
Peter T. Lin (Accredited Judge, Pacific South Judging Center)
Flowers are round and flat. Good color contrast on lip but better if darker. Flower count is on the small side but acceptable. I would point it 78-80 pts.
Bob Winkley (Accredited Judge, Northeast Judging Center)
Thank you for sending along such a charming candidate. It certainly is putting on a show!
The qualities that I truly appreciate in the flower are the relatively good form, the clarity of color, and the brightly colored lip. All of these seem to point to the Holcoglossum parent. Neither the Aerides nor the Rhynchostylis parents are known for flatness (they both hold their lips at an angle above perpendicular to the sepals and petals) and their overall color is often monochromatic. Here we see bright white sepals and petals offset by a beautiful red lip. The sepals and lip are quite full, with petals that are a little narrower but not fatally so.
The biggest challenge that the candidate presents is the crowded inflorescences. We have a decent flower count per inflorescence, and I would have hoped for better length and spacing to come through from either the Aerides or the Rhynchostylis. Instead, the flowers are bunched at the end, another trait of the Holcoglossum.
I think this cross has great potential if it can overcome the crowding. At this point, I think the flowers are award quality and would score this in the mid-HCC range. If the presentation of the inflorescence improves over time, I can imagine an upgrade into the low-AM range.
All the best,
Bob W.
Judie Armstrong (Associate Judge, Florida North-Central Judging Center)
These are very attractive flowers. The lip is very nice with the fuchsia color changing to spots on the end. Unfortunately, I would not award this flower. I do not find the flowers with consistent shape on the inflorescences. They are tending to be flat in most of them but it is not consistent. I would like to see this orchid come back to judging on another blooming or when the plant has grown a little bit larger.
Thank you, Judie
Exhibitor - Bill Stender, PA
Virtual Award Description
Seventeen charming flowers on two inflorescences on a plant 23-cm wide by 20-cm tall; petals and sepals white; sepals obovate; petals broadly spatulate; lip prominent, white, pink tessellated with red veining basally, fading to lightly spotted pink distally; side lobes boldly spotted magenta, bright yellow basally; column white, boldly spotted magenta; anther cap white; substance medium; texture crystalline.
Grower's Advice
I am growing this in a mesh basket in a bark mix. The mesh basket sits inside a clear slit pot which gives the root area a moister microclimate. This is grown in a bright area of my greenhouse with summer highs in the low 90’s and winter lows in the mid 50’s.