This is something what we can not see every month on a judging tables!

Angraecum Crestwood (Mutation) (Angraecum Veitchii x Angraecum sesquipedale).

Angraecum Crestwood was originated and registered by Crestwood in 1973.

Angraecum Veitchii (Veitch, 1899) is the cross between Angraecum sesquipedale and Angraecum eburneum. The native range of the Angraecum sesquipedale ( Darwin's Orchid) is Madagascar. The native range of the Angraecum eburneum is Madagascar, and it also found in Mascarenes and Reunion.

Previous Awards:

There are 14 AOS awards for Angraecum Crestwood! 

There is one AOS awards for Angraecum Crestwood 'Party Girl' JC/AOS which has a one flower with 3 spurs.

Description:

The candidate has 14 flowers on five unstaked inflorescences. Flowers have 3 spurs. Inflorescences are 30 to 40 cm long. Plant is 71 cm high and 68 cm wide growing in 18 cm plastic pot in bark mix. There's no clonal name on a tag (picture below) , however I believe that all of them (plants with a flowers with a 3 spurs) came from the same source.

Flower Measurements:

NS H - 11.0 cm;                   NS V - 15.0 cm;

Dorsal Sep. W - 1.5 cm;    Dorsal Sep. L - 9.0 cm;

Petal W - 3.5 cm;               Petals L - 8.0 cm;

Lat/Synsepal W - 1.5 cm; Lat/Synsepal L - 9.0 cm;

Lip/Pouch W - 3.0 cm;      Lip/Pouch L - 7.0 cm.

Spur 14 cm.

Judges' Comments

Al Messina (Accredited Judge, Northeast Judging Center)

This plant appears to be a good grower with at least one basal shoot and freely blooming, but it suffers several disadvantages in a judging competition: fourteen prior awards which set the standard that this candidate would be hard pressed to meet. Flower awards range from 75 to 93 points; culture awards range from 82 to 95 points. This plant displays poor, crowded, haphazard arrangement of clean but cupped flowers, growing on an unkempt plant glaring with fungal infected leaves (which might have been removed prior to photography) and leaf tip necrosis (left untrimmed). Multiple spurs/nectaries might very well delight the nightly dining pollinating moth but do little to improve a point score. Should the grower desire a better clone, he/she might contact Fred Clarke or Frank Smith and supplicate for a piece of 'Tomorrow Star' which garnered two FCC's and two CCE'.

Unfortunately, this plant might not get any award, certainly on this bloom. Perhaps in the future.

Kris Mason (Accredited Judge, Cincinnati Judging Center)

Thank you for this beautiful and interesting exhibit. I like the shape and presentation of the lip. The peloric flower with the 3 spurs is very interesting. I like the way the spurs present. Compared to other awards for this cross, this flower is narrow and long, visually making a more open flower. There are less flowers per inflorescence than other awarded clones. Flowers on inflorescence present slightly more crowded and nodding than other clones. Several flowers show damage. Since there is already a JC recognizing peloric flowers in this cross, and this flower does not show significant difference from the JC, I do not feel it is a candidate for a JC. I would pass on this flowering for a quality award. While nicely flowered, it is not quite up to the level of a cultural award.

Jan Takamiya (Associate Judge, Hawaii Judging Center)

Angraecum Crestwood (mutation).

Thank you for sharing this specimen with us!  It has come a long way since the single flowered peloric 'Party Girl' JC AOS in 2016!  I am not recommending merit or culture consideration for this entry at this time.  While this is a very special Angraecum, the form, arrangement, average flower count & size (ns) of this peloric flower in my opinion does not compare to the standard Angraecum Crestwood qualities.

I also have black and brown spotting on a few vandaceous orchids. I am thankful, and look forward to the judging/growing insights & learning opportunities that this virtual judging format offers. Thank you everyone!

Deb Boersma (Associate Judge, Great Lakes Judging Center)

Angraceum Crestwood (Mutation) Deb Boersma GLJC Associate

This is a very interesting flower with the peloric petals displaying the three spurs and I’m glad that this was presented as a candidate for judging. I find that these plants can be a challenge to grow but this looks like a nice, healthy plant!

The stellate flowers are striking with the very wide petals, much wider than other awarded plants because of the pelorism but I find that the flowers are quite cupped and would have liked if they were a little flatter. The flower appears to be fairly symmetrical and balanced.  The white petals and lip contrast nicely with the light green sepals and the throat of the lip is quite unusual due to the three spurs and adds an interesting design to the column.

The natural spread of the flower is smaller than the most of the other awarded plants but is in the range of floriferousness when compared to most of the quality awarded plants.

The cultivars ‘Tomorrow Star’ and ‘Maria Luisa Matos’ really show a beautiful display and arrangement of flowers. The flowers are not as nicely displayed and arranged on our candidate plant and tend to face downward.

I had thought that this would be a great candidate for an JC but upon researching the awards database, there already is a JC for ‘Party Girl’. I don’t think that I would nominate it for a quality award.

Pam Noll (Student Judge, Alamo Judging Center)

Angraecum Crestwood (Mutation)

Lovely flowers in color and texture, the three spurs per flower were very attractive.  Measurements of previously awarded plants vary significantly within the different award levels, probably due to influence of the eburneum GP, making comparison difficult.  I would like to see these flowers spaced out better along the inflorescences, their presentation seemed a bit cramped.  The plant’s condition is less than best.  I think this flower is good representative of its parents and comparable to other awards, though, and if nominated it may score in the upper HCC range.

Pamela Noll

David Edgley (Accredited Judge, Western Canada Judging Center)

After looking at this candidate and the award record, I recommend no award for this plant.  It does not have enough flowers to qualify for a cultural award.  There is already a JC for a similar if not identical flower.  I cannot grant this a quality award.  

David Edgley

Alejandro Capriles (Retired AOS Judge; Accredited Judge Società Felsinea di Orchidofilia, Bologna, Italy)

Angraecum Crestwood (Mutation)

Beautifully grown specimen of this well-known primary hybrid. However, the individual flower shape is not an improvement over the normal type with petals and lip noticeably cupped forward. The only features worthy of note are the petal spurs which give the flowers an unusual Columbine-like appearance. For this reason, I would consider this plant for a Judges’ Commendation, but not for other awards, including cultural - all previous cultural awards given to this grex have a considerably higher number of flowers present.

Alejandro Capriles, retired AOS judge, accredited judge - Società Felsinea di Orchidologia (SFO), Bologna, Italy

Many thanks,

Alejandro.

Bob Winkley (Accredited Judge, Northeast Judging Center)

Thank you for sending along this well-grown and nicely flowered plant.

Angraecum Crestwood is perhaps one of the most successful and awarded hybrids in the genus, particularly due to the highly distributed clone 'Tomorrow Star'. Some of the most attractive aspects of the hybrid are that it takes on the terrific beauty of Angraecum sesquipedale, increases the number of inflorescences and flower count per same because of Angraecum eburneum as a grandparent, and avoids the often confused arrangement of the flowers on the inflorescence that can result in this genus when hybrids combine resupinate and non-resupinate species.

As you point out, a peloric version of the grex has already been awarded a JC, albeit for a single flower which, apart from the incorrect recording of the petal length, is fuller than our candidate, especially the width of the petals and sepals. That said, the flower is more interesting than beautiful, and its very cupped form does not qualify it for a flower quality award in my opinion.

Cultural award to cultivars of this grex, the bulk to the clone 'Tomorrow Star', indicate that most are bearing an average of 4 - 5 flowers per inflorescence. Our candidate is currently averaging almost 3 so the count is low. Given the vigor of the plant, I would expect more inflorescences and a better flower count, so have to wonder if this might be due to the mutation which led to the peloric form. However, the lowest cultural awards (83 pts) had 7 inflorescences and at least 43 flowers and buds so our candidate, while definitely well-grown, may not yet be in the range. There also appear to be some issues with grooming of old inflorescences and perhaps a little bit of foliar damage - even thought the flowers are all on one side of the plant it would be helpful to have a 360 degree look.

At this time I wouldn't nominate the plant for an award. If it were nominated for a cultural award I might be able to score 80 points but that truly depends on being able to fully address the condition of the plant.

All the best - 

Bob W.

Tom Mirenda (Accredited Judge, Hawaii Judging Center)

Here are some comments on the Angraecum.

This peloric Angraecum has made the rounds, I had one in my garden in Hilo, before I moved. And like most Angraecums with sensitive roots, declined significantly when disturbed…..I’m sure it has expired

It presents a special problem in Judging….in that though the flowers are extraordinary with three spurs.

They don’t open well (precluding a flower merit award).

I’d consider it though if there was a consensus among judges that it should be recognized, and it may indeed be the same clone that was awarded a JC years ago.

As well grown as it is, it’s not at the point of a cultural award yet…..though this is imminent.

If it was a species, I’d certainly recommend a CHM….but not sure if we can do that for hybrids.

I am at a loss for how to award this worthy cultivar….but hope the grower continues their fine culture of a tricky orchid.

Well Done!

Tom Mirenda

Peter T. Lin (Accredited Judge, Pacific South Judging Center, Diamond Orchids, www.diamondorchids.com)

Yes, these were clones from Taiwan. The original plant was most likely a mutation from the ‘Tomorrow Star’ cultivar. The ‘Party Girl’ is also most likely the same clone. 

Peter

Deb Bodei (Associate Judge, Northeast Judging Center)

Angraecum Crestwood (Mutation) (Angraecum Veitchii x Angraecum sesquipedale)

This is a very nicely grown plant with an unusual form, similar to the past awarded 'Party Girl'.  The prior awarded with the three spurs only has one flower. This candidate is not nearly as floriferous as the general past awarded of this grex, so I would not look at it for culture. The flower has more green coloring than the prior JC, but that could be that the flowers are still opening. It's a larger flower than the prior JC and has different segment sizes relative to each other so it's not likely a division of the same plant. The flowers are also consistent.

In light of additional information provided by Peter T. Lin after the initial request for commentary, I am rescinding my original nomination for a JC from this commentary. It seems the probability is certain that the candidate is a mericlone (along with other awarded plants of this cross). If that is the case and 'Party Girl' has already been awarded for this same characteristic, then there is no reason to take up additional time discussing here. If it were an actual judging, there would be discussion and 75% of the judges would need to concur before a JC was awarded.

Thanks,

Deb

Exhibitor - Bill Stender, PA

Grower's Advice

Cattleya light. I was in fear of repotting so I just cut down the side of the plastic pot and over potted it with coarse bark about 4 years ago. I will do a full repotting when I see active root growth this summer and pray it doesn’t die.