New candidate for this week is old classic semi-alba Cattleya Park Ridge 'Thornridge' (Cattleya Spring Comet x Cattleya mossiae).

Cattleya Park Ridge was registered by Hauserman in 1969. This cross has many species in background, most important are C. mossiae, C. purpurata, C. trianae and few other.

Cattleya Park Ridge is also known as Laeliocattleya Park Ridge.

Previous Awards:

There are 4 AOS awards for this cross - 2 CCM, 1 CCE and 1 JC, all awards dated from 1994 to 1997. No flower awards for this cross. All awards in OrchidPro listed under Laeliocattleya Park Ridge.

Description:

The candidate plant has 33 flowers and 0 buds on 10 staked inflorescences up to 19 cm tall. Plant is 72 cm wide and 52 cm tall (including inflorescences). Plant in 12 inches plastic pot. Leaves, bulbs and flowers are in very good to excellent condition.

Flower Measurements:

NS H - 18.2 cm; NS V - 20.1 cm;

Dorsal Sep. W - 3.4 cm; Dorsal Sep. L - 11.0 cm;

Petal W - 8.2 cm; Petals L - 11.2 cm;

Lat/Sepal W - 3.4 cm; Lat/Sepal L - 10.0 cm;

Lip/Pouch W - 7.2 cm; Lip/Pouch L - 11.0 cm.

Judges' Comments

David Edgley (Accredited Judge, Western Canada Judging Center)

This C. Park Ridge is a beautiful plant, well-grown, and nicely displayed. Based on the previous AOS records, I don’t think I could recommend a flower quality award. But given the lovely flowering and condition of the plant, I would like to recommend a CCM for this beautiful specimen.

Al Messina (Accredited Judge, Northeast Judging Center)

Thirty three larger-than-the-median flowers on ten staked erect inflorescences growing on a quite vigorous plant. Two plants appear to have received all prior awards, all more floriferous than the present candidate. Certainly the lower flower count (total) should not disqualify this candidate from a lower point score CCM. However, the plant seems to have a history of meteoric growth, essentially exponential, at about its current size. Therefore, with continued good culture, CCE is a potential result. Good things come to those who wait.

Flower award, not likely.

Kristen Mason (Accredited Judge, Cincinnati Judging Center)

Although there are many nice things about the flowers - clarity of color, nice presentation, due to inconsistencies in flower form, I would not consider this for a quality award. The plant and flowers are very clean, in good condition, well flowered and nicely presented. I pointed this at an 82 CCM.

Deb Boersma (Student Judge, Great Lakes Judging Center)

Cattleya Park Ridge ‘Thornridge’

Beautiful white, full flowers with stunning frilly magenta lip and yellow throat. I like the contrast of the lip to the white colour of the sepals and petals. The lip has a nice white picotee and frilly margin.

The dorsal sepal curls over at the top and there is fenestration between the dorsal sepal and the petals. Petals have a nice undulated margin but tend to reflex back somewhat; the lateral sepals tend to reflex back also. The flower size is slightly larger when compared to the 4 awarded plants but not as floriferous and the flowers are well arranged on the plant.

I would not nominate this for a cultural award but I think that I would nominate it for a quality award even though the form is not the best, it is a beautiful flower. I would score it at a HCC 77-78.

Joseph Maciaszek (Accredited Judge, Northeast Judging Center)

The Cattleya Park Ridge grex has been around for some time, being first registered in 1969, and has never received a flower quality award but a few cultural awards. The past cultural awards were given to two different cultivars ‘Granier’ and ‘Verda Dale‘ (Butterworth Prize winner in 1997). I am lucky enough to know both the grower of Verda Dale, Roger West and her namesake, both members of the Amherst Orchid Society. While I have seen exceptional displays of “Verda Dale’ just not when it was awarded at its peak.

C. Park Ridge is an excellent grower that can put out multiple new growths and has a short rhizome length so it has a great capacity to become a specimen plant. C. Park Ridge 'Thornridge' appears to be a well-grown and ‘happy’ plant. The candidate has 33 flowers, in pristine condition, on 10 inflorescences; which slightly less floriferous than the 2 pervious CCM awards. The number of flower for the size of the plant seem on par for the CCM awards. The presentation of the flowers around the plant seems a little inconsistent many seem too crowded and not displaying well. Also the middle/back of the plant seems to have many leafless and shriveled pseudobulbs. It is nice to see plants grown to a mature size where they can start to show their full potential.

The flowers on Park Ridge in general are beautiful and ‘Thornridge’ is no exception. The clean pure white of the sepals and petals with that full magenta lip and yellow throat are eye-catching. The flower form unfortunately is not up to standards. The petals are cupped and reflexed. The dorsal sepal is rolled backward distally.

So what to do with this candidate plant? I would not nominate it for a flower quality award but could see this being nominate for a cultural award. I see this as a low-middle CMM I would most likely score it 82-83.

Thanks for submitting this wonderful plant.

Mark Werther (Accredited Judge, Mid-Atlantic Judging Center)

This is a very interesting exercise as it requires the viewer to decide what level of Judging he or she is on in consideration to HISTORICAL breeding.

I refer to the idea of improvement of an intermix of three species.

I really like the Park Ridge but I think it requires less fenestration for a quality award. It is beautifully displayed and I have no problem with the CCM. The Park Ridge is missing the extraordinary characteristics required to push me into a quality award. The key word is extraordinary.

I find the mossiae's interesting and as benchmarks. As for a species the 'Carlos Arias' is spectacular and by itself is superior in its own way to the Park Ridge and was probably underscored. The other more solid lip mossiae, I find deficient and misses the mark both in form and especially its lack of lip patterning.

Regards, Mark

Tom Mirenda (Accredited Judge, Hawaii Judging Center)

When Cattleyas are this well grown it is always a spectacle and this superb plant is no exception

I will admit to being spoiled or perhaps a bit jaded living on the Big Island where such feats of horticulture

While still uncommon, are seen fairly regularly, even on trees. Nonetheless I can recognize that this is a true cultural accomplishment

The flowers are also above average for the grex….with a fine upright dorsal sepal, nice wide (if a bit droopy) petals and a spectacular lip.

I am surprised that no Flower awards were granted to other clones of the grex…certainly even in the 1960s and 70s there would be some recognition for such a cross. But in those days, substance and texture were a large percentage of the score, and it may be that the flowers though large, were not of the quality sufficient for the aesthetic of the day. Indeed there are large windows in the presentation as well…and a general floppiness.

Nonetheless, I feel this flower is awardable on this blooming…though I could only go to about a mid HCC…76 or 77 pts

In addition, as I mentioned earlier, I see this fine blooming as more of a cultural achievement. The presentation is very good with the plant reasonably well groomed and staked and flowers all visible and well distributed around the specimen.. Having seen some outstanding Cattleya specimens here, I cannot go to CCE status this time….but I believe a CCM of about 85 points is warranted.

Deborah Bodei (Associate Judge, Northeast Judging Center)

Cattleya Park Ridge 'Thornridge' (Cattleya Spring Comet x Cattleya mossiae)

Observations

A very well grown, clean plant, flowered circumferentially with blooms almost completely covering the foliage. It is staked nicely and presents all blooms so they are not crowded with each flower seen. A little over three flowers per spike on a plant less than half the size, growing in a pot less than a third of the size of the previously awarded plants, certainly qualifies for consideration of a cultural award to the grower.

Considering form there is some fenestration and the petals do fall forward slightly, but expected for a cross with the majority of its parentage from purpurata and mossiae. Form is improved comparing to the previously awarded of this cross and more importantly comparable with recently awarded plants for both purpurata (C. purpurata ‘Shogun on Fire’ awarded AM 84 pts in 2019) and mossiae (C. mossiae f. semi-alba ‘Carlos Magdiel Arias’ AM 84 pts in 2019)

The overall form of the flower fills a majority of the circle and the lip is full, flat and proportionate to the petals. There are a few lips that curl up or under at the lower apex but overall a majority are flat. The flowers are quite consistent and have good symmetry. The dorsal stands upright. There is some curling on the dorsal and lower sepals that can be considered in pointing.

The color is clear and bright and the picotee of the lip is quite nice. The substance and texture look good from the photos. The flowers would not be held as well as they are without good substance. Size and segment widths are larger than prior awarded with NS a full cm more.

Nominations

This classic cross shows strong qualities not only for its vigor but for flower qualities that can still stand up to today’s breeding. I would nominate this candidate for both a cultural and a flower award based on the above considerations with an anticipation of mid-CCM and low AM awards.

Thank you,

Deb

Elena Skoropad (Associate Judge, Northeast Judging Center)

This is an old classic semi-alba Cattleya Park Ridge 'Thornridge' (Cattleya Spring Comet x Cattleya mossiae) but it is still a wonderful plant. I need to confess from the beginning - I saw this plant in person and it has a WOW factor. There are 33 gorgeous flowers on a relatively compact plant in 12 inches plastic pot. All flowers and the plant are in a prestige condition. The plant is in its prime, all flowers were open and it flowered all around. There were 3 culture awards given in late 90s to the Park Ridge. The mossiae has 89 awards; mossiae is 50% on this cross. The other parent C. Spring Comet has no awards. I would nominate this plant for the culture award from the start. The grower did a fantastic job and it needs to be recognized. I would be in 83-84 points CCC range. Also, I think the flower itself is not bad and could be nominated for a flower quality award. The dorsal is holding up very nicely, it is not reflexes as on old awarded in the 90th plants.

The ruffled lip has gorgeous magenta color with white picotee; the throat is tangerine with distinct red stripes; petal, sepals and dorsal are pristine white.

I think I would be in high HCC range for the flower award. I would also like to mention the plant had a very pleasant fragrance. Substance firm; texture crystalline.

Thank you,

Elena

Exhibitor - Longwood Gardens, PA (orchid grower - Greg Griffis)

Virtual Award Description

Thirty-three large, striking, well-balanced flowers on 10 staked inflorescences to 19cm, circumferentially presented on a 72-cm diameter by 52-cm tall clean plant growing in a 10-inch plastic pot; sepals and petals bright white; dorsal sepal lanceolate, upright; lateral sepals lanceolate, apices reflexed; petals ovate, arched and reflexed, margins amply undulate; lip round, white, closed over column, overlaid purple distally, margins evenly ruffled with narrow white serrate picotee, slight cleft at apex, throat yellow basally, lightly striated purple; column and anther cap white; substance firm; texture crystalline, pleasant fragrance noted.

Grower's Advice

This plant is grown in a 10” plastic pot in a large bark mix (all 1” particles). It is grown in bright light, about 3000-5000 footcandles and fed regularly.

We received the plant in 2009, and so it has been growing here for 12 years. It is a good plant that grows vigorously.