Extinct or existing Pleione?

[Brian]

I remember talking to Ian about 'Buttercup' around 18 months ago and as Paul has said Ian told me that it has not been around for some years.  Further to this I also think that he said that it had been in the collection of Keith Rattray in Aberdeen at the time.  So if anyone had any plants from that source it could still exist ... if so then please put me on the list to acquire one!!!

[Maggi Young]

Brian, do you know if Keith Rattray is still in Aberdeen/ Aberdeenshire?
 I have no idea of the timescale.... poor chap may be deceased or in Guatemala......

[Darren]

To answer your question Maggi - this is directly quoted from an obituary by Ian Butterfield in the 1989 edition of the now-defunct Pleione Report:

"It was with great sadness that I learned of the accidental death of Keith Rattray early in 1989. At 24 years of age he was the youngest contributor to the first 'Pleione Report' using as a title for his article ' A Passion for PLeiones'. He certainly had a passion, not only for pleiones, but for many other garden plants as well.
 On entering his garden and greenhouse I was astonished at the amount and variety of plants, some quite rare, that somebody as young as Keith had collected together. Besides a superb collection of PLeiones, there were Lewisias, Cyclamen, Cortydalis, Fritillaria, Crocus, Snowdrops, Auriculas, Primulas and many, many more. All looked very hapy and were obviously growing well, atesting to his skill as a grower.
 Keith's collection of pleiones had a number of very fine clones of p. forrestii and stock of p x confusa from four different sources, as well as the more usual species and hybrids.
 Two years ago he started breeding pleiones and from the parents he used I believe he was going to create some beautiful new hybrids. He obviously had a very satisfying future to look forward to in the horticultural world.
 Keith had nearly finished his studies at Glasgow University where his tutors said he had a brilliant future in front of him in the electronics industry. He eventually wanted to grow plants and was going to finance his dream by working in the electronics world.
 I shall remember Keith not only as a very god friend, but as a grower who never ceased to want to learn more about the plants he loved - pleiones- whenever he had the chance.

Ian Butterfield. "

[Maggi Young]

Thank you, Darren.
How sad for such a young enthusiast to be lost.

[KBruyninckx]

Talking of lists, some of you may (or may not) remember a provisional list of Pleione cultivars produced by the RHS back in October 2002. 
This list, part of a pilot study on orchid cultivar registration by Julian Shaw, mentioned all cultivars and grexes known up to that point in time with, where possible, references to articles & books describing/mentioning the cultivar.

For all the new cultivars named since October 2002 no list exists, for all new grexes and especially the groups the Sanders List of Orchid Hybrids should be the source.


Kenneth.

PS: if someone wants to delve into Pleione history then I suggest picking up a copy of the June 1961 issue of the Orchid Review.
It amazed me to read that back then only 5 different named Pleione formosana clones were known/grown in the UK (and most probably in the rest of Europe as well): 'Blush of Dawn', 'Polar Sun' (there is however mention of a second white clone in the article, but no details are provided), 'Serenity' (anybody grow this one?), 'Oriental Splendour' and 'Oriental Grace' (the last two being the former Pleione pricei clones).

Incidently, does anybody know where and when Pleione formosana 'Cairngorm' appeared in cultivation?
I know some link this clone ( also known as 'W2' or 'Ruby Throat' to Sanders back in the 1960s but is this correct?

[Luc Gilgemyn]

To answer your question Maggi - this is directly quoted from an obituary by Ian Butterfield in the 1989 edition of the now-defunct Pleione Report:

"It was with great sadness that I learned of the accidental death of Keith Rattray early in 1989. At 24 years of age he was the youngest contributor to the first 'Pleione Report' using as a title for his article ' A Passion for PLeiones'. He certainly had a passion, not only for pleiones, but for many other garden plants as well.
 On entering his garden and greenhouse I was astonished at the amount and variety of plants, some quite rare, that somebody as young as Keith had collected together. Besides a superb collection of PLeiones, there were Lewisias, Cyclamen, Cortydalis, Fritillaria, Crocus, Snowdrops, Auriculas, Primulas and many, many more. All looked very hapy and were obviously growing well, atesting to his skill as a grower.
 Keith's collection of pleiones had a number of very fine clones of p. forrestii and stock of p x confusa from four different sources, as well as the more usual species and hybrids.
 Two years ago he started breeding pleiones and from the parents he used I believe he was going to create some beautiful new hybrids. He obviously had a very satisfying future to look forward to in the horticultural world.
 Keith had nearly finished his studies at Glasgow University where his tutors said he had a brilliant future in front of him in the electronics industry. He eventually wanted to grow plants and was going to finance his dream by working in the electronics world.
 I shall remember Keith not only as a very god friend, but as a grower who never ceased to want to learn more about the plants he loved - pleiones- whenever he had the chance.

Ian Butterfield. "

Though a sad story..  a very interesting one Darren, thanks for posting it !

[Darren]

To answer your question Maggi - this is directly quoted from an obituary by Ian Butterfield in the 1989 edition of the now-defunct Pleione Report:

"It was with great sadness that I learned of the accidental death of Keith Rattray early in 1989. At 24 years of age he was the youngest contributor to the first 'Pleione Report' using as a title for his article ' A Passion for PLeiones'. He certainly had a passion, not only for pleiones, but for many other garden plants as well.
 On entering his garden and greenhouse I was astonished at the amount and variety of plants, some quite rare, that somebody as young as Keith had collected together. Besides a superb collection of PLeiones, there were Lewisias, Cyclamen, Cortydalis, Fritillaria, Crocus, Snowdrops, Auriculas, Primulas and many, many more. All looked very hapy and were obviously growing well, atesting to his skill as a grower.
 Keith's collection of pleiones had a number of very fine clones of p. forrestii and stock of p x confusa from four different sources, as well as the more usual species and hybrids.
 Two years ago he started breeding pleiones and from the parents he used I believe he was going to create some beautiful new hybrids. He obviously had a very satisfying future to look forward to in the horticultural world.
 Keith had nearly finished his studies at Glasgow University where his tutors said he had a brilliant future in front of him in the electronics industry. He eventually wanted to grow plants and was going to finance his dream by working in the electronics world.
 I shall remember Keith not only as a very god friend, but as a grower who never ceased to want to learn more about the plants he loved - pleiones- whenever he had the chance.

Ian Butterfield. "

Though a sad story..  a very interesting one Darren, thanks for posting it !

I'm glad I did. It set me on a trip down memory lane whilst looking through those old Pleione reports. The same issue has an article by Jan Berg on his '36 years with Pleione' and an account of P.hookeriana in the wild by Cribb & Butterfield. Not to mention a contribution on anthracnose fungus by Paul Cumbleton.

[Maren]

Hi Darren,
thanks for bringing this to our attention. I shall have to dig it out and re-read it.

[Slug Killer]

Incidently, does anybody know where and when Pleione formosana 'Cairngorm' appeared in cultivation?
I know some link this clone ( also known as 'W2' or 'Ruby Throat' to Sanders back in the 1960s but is this correct?

‘Cairngorm’ syn. ‘Ruby Throat’. Cribb & Butterfield (1999): 115 descr.; Orch. Rev. 94: 93 (Mar. 1986)

David

[KBruyninckx]

[‘Cairngorm’ syn. ‘Ruby Throat’. Cribb & Butterfield (1999): 115 descr.; Orch. Rev. 94: 93 (Mar. 1986)

David, thank you for these 2 references.
You found this refernce in the provisional cultivar list from Julian Shaw I refered to, correct? 

Now if you look at that 1986 article in the Orchid Review by Ian Butterfield he 'merely' lists 'Cairngorm' as of the known formosana cultivars in cultivation, no explanation is given for its provenance nor who introduced it and when.

Kenneth.

[Tim Harberd]

Hi There,
   Perhaps we need a ‘Lost & Found’ thread?

   Personally, I’m trying to rationalise/reduce my collection BUT if anybody is still growing P. humilis ‘Kingdon Ward’ I’d love to see it again. It was so different from any other humilis I’ve ever seen that I guess it was mis-identified!! Somewhere, I’ve got an old kodachrome slide of it.

Tim DH

[Alex]

http://www.pleione.info/imagepages/species/pleione_humilis6.htm

I remember that people also used to suggest it may just be a polyploid form. Certainly different either way. I alst saw it in Ian Butterfield's collection, I think.

[ThomasB]

As far as I recall P. humilis 'Frank Kingdon Ward' was offered one or two years ago by a German Pleione seller. I will check at home with the catalogue (paper).

[Paul Cumbleton]

Hi Tim,
I have just two bulbs of 'Kingdon Ward' - down from an all time high of 6 bulbs (so as you see, it has gone backwards!). Those 6 took many years to get; it seems to build up numbers very slowly for me compared to normal humilis. I guess that's why it is rarely offered for sale. If you do manage to get one from somewhere you should be able to tell if it is the "true" thing just from the bulbs - they are much paler, brighter green colour than the rather dark olive-green colour of a normal humilis bulbs, and have an extraordinary long thin neck.
Paul

Bulbs of Pleione humilis 'Frank Kingdon Ward':

[Tim Harberd]

Wow!
   Thanks for the responses... I'm glad it still exists!! Any chance on a photo of it in flower, to refresh my memory. (I don't ever remember Dad getting more than one flower at a time.)

Tim DH