Taranaki Pleiones Part 1 - Doris clones

[DavMac]

Last weekend I attended the Taranaki Spring Show at New Plymouth.After doing my duty judging (not the Pleione classes   ), I spent some time admiring George Fuller's display that featured a number of different clones of Pleione Doris, which was named after his wife.

I was particularly taken by some of the miniature clones on display. Pln Doris "Tiny Charmer" lives up to it's name and the flowers are only 40mm across. In contrast, Pln Doris I was over 100mm across. The lip colour of Pln Doris D is unusual and George has to go back through his records to find out which Pln Vesuvius clone was used as he has remade the cross several time.

Other Pleiones to follow in reply

David

[DavMac]

Other Pleiones in the display included Pln formosana 'Phyllis Every' AM/OCNZ, which is George's formosana of choice for breeding from. Some of the crosses that George has bred include remakes of Pln Chinese Dragon and Pln Ueli Wackenagel. George also had plants from a South Island Pleione breeder, Ross Bicknell. Amongst the crosses that Ross has remade include Pln Loulan, Pln Fuego and Pln Shepherds Warning. Plants of the latter two crosses received a HCC and an AM award respectively at the Show.

The trick now is to get viable seed into New Zealand of species like Pln forrestii and the strongly coloured Pln (speciosa) pleionoides clones.

David

[Paul Cumbleton]

Hi David,
Thanks for sharing these photos, there are some lovely plants there.

I've previously sent seed to NZ and at least some of that has been successfully raised. If anyone wants me to make pods and send seed of anything - whether species or hybrids I am more than willing. I don't know what your latest plant regulations are - do you have difficulty with importing seed?

Paul

[Luc Gilgemyn]

I agree with Paul, David.
A lot of very good looking, healthy plants in the show !

Pl. "Sheperds Warning" is my favourite !

[Maren]

I too like Pln. Shepherd's Warning (Pln. formosana x Pln. Shantung)

I bought a few bulbs from Tim Haberd, son of the D Haberd who created the hybrid. It is very attractive but very slow growing, in my stable anyway.

Here are two clones of the same cross.

[Graham Catlow]

Its always good to see pleione. Thanks for posting these David.

Tiny Charmer is indeed charming.

Graham

[ThomasB]

Nice to see some flowering Pleiones while most of them here start to drop their leaves. 

'Shepherd's Warning', 'Chinese Dragon' and 'Tiny Charmer' are really interesting - I would love to see a comparison between the tiny flowers of the last one and one of the huge cultivars like 'Rakata'.

[DavMac]

Thomas,
Unfortunately I can't get back to Taranaki this year to do comparison photos but if you look at the photo of the display the pot of Doris 'Tiny Charmer' is directly in front of the Pleione Progress sign. The flower of Doris 'I', which is getting up to Rakata size, is on the right-hand end on the display.

David