A huge plant, C. Porcia 'Cannizaro' is stately, with a bounty of beautiful magenta, plum violet blossoms accented with pearl-white. It meets the mini Ctna. Why Not with it's fiery red circular blossoms and a yellow gold inner lip.

C. Porcia 'Cannizaro'

Both of these parents are mature plants, with flower count exceeding ten blossoms per spike, and flowers full of color intensity and brilliance. C. Porcia 'Cannizaro' must have been a show stopper at it's debut for it's massiveness and un-ignorable beauty. Petite and ever-blooming Ctna. Why Not brings vibrant red and yellow blossoms. The marriage could produce a relatively compact plant with spikes of reddish magenta blossoms, some with a pronounced yellow glow in the inner lip.

The photo of our first in bloom provides some indication of what we can expect from this group of rapidly growing saplings. Yellow in the lip seems to be the most noticeable difference. But I'm baffled how both parents have almost contributed evenly to this first outcome. A reciprocal cross was also made and both batches of seedlings seem to be growing identically. Oddly this is unusual. I'll let the genetic specialist explain the role of the mother plant's vegetative contribution relating to the mitochodria, and why it is unusual. But it is probably too early to make any generalization about the vegetative aspects since the real test is the mature population. I'll make it a point to grow a fair population of each cross and it's reciprocal, to blooming, to see if this quest for answers can be investigated from the macro world. Until then, enjoy the discoveries, the continuing unveiling of the mysteries of the orchid world.

....to be continued as the blooming continues.....