Pleiones -- Paul Cumbleton's hybrids

[Paul Cumbleton]

A new page to showcase the expertise of our very own Pleione specialist, Paul Cumbleton..... "Wisley" to us!  I feel that Paul's work deserves a special place on the Forum.

This page has been started by moving posts from the main Pleione page -

This thread has been renamed and tidied up so is  showing a new reader count- sorry about the fact that the record of the  thousands of previous  readers have gone 
Maggi






One of the first Pleiones to flower for me this year is one of my own hybrids. This is called Pleione Caparro. It first flowered in 2005 which is when I registered the name, and the cross is P. forrestii x P. Ueli Wackernagel 'Pearl'. It is fairly variable, but here is the one which has just opened:

[derekb]

Paul thats a Cracker worth waiting 8 years for.
 Put me on the list.

Derek   ;

[Paul Cumbleton]

I mentioned previously about the difficulty of crossing P. maculata with most other pleiones and that after about 150 attempts I had just two or three successes. Well, here at last I am excited to show the first in flower. It is P. maculata x P. grandiflora. The result is not quite what hoped for ( I had hoped to get a maculata -look-alike but with a bigger flower on more of a stem. Well the flower is very like maculata in shape but still retains a short stem from the maculata parent. The grandiflora has given it a yellow lip which has made the spotting red rather than purple, though the shape and distribution of the spots is very maculata-like. It is a little larger overall than a typical maculata flower. The bulb is much more like the grandiflora parent - in fact the overall appearance is of a grandiflora-like bulb with a maculata-like flower stuck on it. I'd be interested to know if you all like this or not. Here are a couple of views of it:

[Paul Cumbleton]

I forgot to add to the previous post a couple of other pics. The first two are of another new hybrid which I named Sifaka. The cross is P. Piton x P. forrestii. Very variable, and mostly the top petals are a bit narrow, but lovely colours. I particularly like the ones with red streaks on the petals like the one shown. The third picture is P. Eiger 'Turtle Dove' which opened at the weekend. Also to note, these pictures are some of the first to be taken using my new Olympus E3. It has taken a while to get used to it but the results are beginning to impress me.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Hi Paul.
Thanks for divulging your new babies.
First, let me tell you that despite the greatness of the achievement to cross maculata and grandiflora, like you I'm not overwhelmed with the result.  It's a really good looking flower all right, but I bet that like me,  you hoped for more spectacular 'maculatalike' colour contrasts.     
As to Sifaka, I already saw pictures of it in the last Pleione review and like then, I like it very much : stunning colours ! 
P. Eiger 'Turtle Dove' is also new to me : a very nice clone if you ask me.
Thanks again for showing.

[jonathan.wild]

Lovely hybrids Paul - Congratulations!!
Not as impressed with the maculata hybrid as the other two. Just like a gorgeous woman - I like my Pleione flowers displayed on a good set of pins (or rather pin!) rather than scraping along the ground!
Please put me on the waiting list Paul - if you're open to bribes let me know!!

[Paul Cumbleton]

Here's another new one, this time the cross was made by my partner Colin and has been given the name Pleione Lucey. The parentage is yunnanensis x humilis. This one we selected out as the best of the offspring:

[Paul T]

Great colouration!! 

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Very very nice Paul ! Smashing ! 

[art600]

im going to save the pollinia of the P.barcena and use it on some of the later ones to see what i get...just hope the labs will be intrested in sowing them!

bye
rob

Rob

I am intrigued - what are the labs?

[Paul T]

Art,

I think Rob's meaning laboratories...... sowing of Pleione (and so many Orchids for that matter) isn't just a quick sowing in a pot like most of the rest of what we grow!    Of course there'd be even more different ones to wow us if we could do it easily at home.    You have to be able to find a laboratory who can sow them on agar with the correct fungal infusion for germination.

[art600]

Paul

Thanks for info. 

This prompts another question - do the adult Pleiones need the fungus to grow, or is it only for germination?

[Paul Cumbleton]

Hi Art,
When sowing orchids in flasks, they do not always need a fungus. Often, the nutrients etc that a fungus would normally supply can be provided as chemicals in the medium instead. With pleiones we are fortunate in that their needs can easily be met without a fungus, so they will germinate on "standard" orchid media. The adult plants seem to be able to grow without fungus, though it is possible that fungi come to occupy the "sterile" composts we often start with

Paul

[mark smyth]

Paul stunning hybrids! I only grow only Shantung and they live outside all year in my peat bed

[ashley]

With pleiones we are fortunate in that their needs can easily be met without a fungus, so they will germinate on "standard" orchid media.

Hi Paul,

Great plants there.  Just to clarify: can pleione seed be germinated on fresh orchid compost or is this better sterilised first, and at about what temperature?

Any guidance much appreciated,
Ashley