Primary Hybrids
of Phalaenopsis - attractive additions to the natural
Olaf Gruss
I
Little known primary hybrids
from France.
n recent years, relatively few primary hybrids of Phalaenopsis
have been made. One of the new orchid hybridizers today in Europe is Alain Brochart from Marseille, France. He is known to
his many orchid fans by his favorite web page (http://www.phals.
net/index).
The first orchid Phalaenopsis cross registered by Alain was not even
from his own breeding program. René Klinge of the Netherlands
had bred Phal. sumatrana × tetraspis. Alain filed an RHS registration
naming this hybrid Phal. Sumaspice in 2003.
Brochart followed up this first hybrid by then creating a cross of
Phal. pulchra × lueddemanniana; it was RHS registered in 2004, as
Phal. Pulcia. While the shape and flowers favor Phal. lueddemanniana, the color is obtained from the other parent plant, Phal. pulchra.
In 2004, Brochart cross bred Phal. bellina × fasciata and registered
his new hybrid as Phal. Fascilina. This hybrid offers us an interesting
variable coloration of the flower.
Several years earlier Henry Wallbrunn, from Gainesville, Florida,
had cross bred the same two species; the results were all together dif1
ferent from Brochart’s, but was not registered.
Another home-grown primary hybrid created by Alain flowered in
2008. It was a cross between Phal. hieroglyphica × venosa, which he
called Phal. Ossirah and he filed for an RHS registration. The starshaped flowers have a yellow to olive seasoned back-ground color.
In 2009, Phal. philippinensis × fuscata were crossed and the results
were RHS registered as Phal. Philiscat. Both parents have been rarely
used for breeding, so little is known about their inheritance traits, but
the resulting flower has an interesting dotting pattern with a yellowish
color base.
In 2010, Alain followed up by creating a cross between Phal. cornucervi × hieroglyoica which was registered as Phal. Algicora. This cross
once again demonstrates the preferences of Brochart crossing yellow
background Phalaenopsis species.
A cross between Phal. pallens × hieroglyphica flowered in 2011 and
was RHS registered as Phal. Alensica. Even when the first flower did
not develop a dorsal sepal, the flower shows the expected pale yellow
color and with a color that reminds one of Phal. hieroglyphica.
In February 2012, the last date Alain filed for any new RHS hybrids,
he filed for Phal. Aladdin. This cross between Phal. amabilis × hieroglyphica is noted for their handsome red spotted, white flowers, but
unfortunately it has badly shaped flowers. This primary hybrid nevertheless appears suitable for the breeding of finely spotted Phalaenopsis
hybrids.
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Phalaenopsis | Fourth Quarter | Volume 23 | 2013