Sunset Valley Orchids

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SVO 7192       
Fdk. NEW HYBRID (Fdk. Midnight Lace 'SVO' x Ctsm. Dark Odyssey 'SVO Dark Night')
Novelty Fredclarkeara breeding has produced some excellent flowers, including the exceptional hybrid Midnight Lace (Mo. Painted Desert x Ctsm. fimbriatum v. morrenianum).  The dark flower color and frilly lip were the inspiration for the name of the grex.  Mature plants produce 2-3 spikes with many near-black flowers with an eye-catching frilly lip.  Dark Odyssey (Ctsm. Karen Armstrong x Ctsm. Darkness) is a smaller-growing plant that flowers 2-3 times a season. The cultivar 'SVO Dark Night' has surprisingly large flowers with huge flat lips in a rich deep red/burgundy. This type of breeding will assure 3-4 week flower longevity and dark flower colors, with some in the darkest colors imaginable. The compact-growing plants will begin to bloom in the fall and should flower again in winter.

SVO 7225
Cyc. NEW HYBRID (Cyc. warscewiczii 'Giant Swan' x Cyc. Pineapple Popcorn 'SVO Best')
This warscewiczii has superb flower size, count, shape and flowering habit, the Pineapple Popcorn (warscewiczii x Kevin Clarke) has an excellent flat flower with good size, count, and blooming habit.  The genetic makeup of this cross in comprised of 87% warscewiczii and 13% herrenhusanum, this gives a good idea of the shape and color… Super improved yellow warscewiczii. Very Limited

SVO 7280
Ctsm. lucis (Ctsm. lucis 'SVO' x Ctsm. lucis 'Dana's Bird of Paradise' AM/AOS)
Ctsm. lucis was described in 1994 from plants discovered in the disputed border area between Colombia and Venezuela.  Only a few plants were found, and we were fortunate to acquire this species in 2007.  The plants only bloomed male for many years, and several crosses were made with the pollen. I was beginning to wonder if these would ever produce female flowers.  Finally, after 9 years, a plant produced female flowers. Yes, I waited 9 years to make a sib cross!!! What make this Catasetum remarkable are the upright inflorescences 4' or more in length that carry 20+ green flowers with white lips!  As a bonus, flowers last 3-4 weeks, which is very unusual for a Catasetum.  These are large, robust plants and very rare in cultivation.  Don't miss out on this one! These are very rare and highly collectable!

SVO 7592
Ctsm. Sweet Adaline (Ctsm. Louise Clarke 'Wonder Woman' x Ctsm. Dagny 'Fantastica')
Ctsm. Louise Clarke (Susan Fuchs x Donna Wise) is my mother's namesake and a spectacular hybrid (of course!).  The cultivar 'Wonder Woman' blooms 3-4 times a year and produces flowers with very large, flat lips in yellow with bold spotting.  Ctsm. Dagny (pileatum x Brent's Black Hawk) has several noteworthy qualities: exceptionally rich deep red flower color with just a spot of bright yellow in the center of the lip, long arching inflorescences carrying 12 -15 flowers, and plants that bloom 2-3 times a season. This complex cross has three formidable species in Catasetum breeding: pileatum, expansum, and tenebrosum.  I believe these will combine to produce deep red flowers with huge lips in various color combinations from yellow with red spots to nearly solid red with just a few yellow spots. All will have excellent form, arrangement and flower count.

SVO 7593       
Ctsm. NEW HYBRID (Ctsm. Louise Clarke 'Wonder Woman' x Ctsm. tenebrosum 'Ed Wise #2' AM/AOS)
Ctsm. Louise Clarke (Susan Fuchs x Donna Wise) is my mother's namesake and a spectacular hybrid (of course!).  The cultivar 'Wonder Woman' blooms 3-4 times a year and produces flowers with very large, flat lips in yellow with bold spotting.  This Ctsm. tenebrosum has dark flowers with a chartreuse lip, and its shape is as good as a tenebrosum gets, with very full segments. Combined with excellent flower count, 'Ed Wise #2' is the crème de la crème of tenebrosums. This cross will be similar to the highly awarded Ctsm. Donna Wise (Orchidglade x tenebrosum), parent of and parent of Fdk. After Dark. Expect many richly-colored flowers, produced 2-3 times a season. This cross has excellent potential!

SVO 7619
Clo. Black Jade (Cl. russelliana 'David N.' x Ctsm. expansum 'Myra' HCC/AOS)
This is a very floriferous hybrid influenced by the exceptional flower count of Cl. russelliana. The flowers will be green to deep jade green, and lips will be green wih a dark burgundy center. Expect many flowers on 2-foot-long pendulous inflorescences. Yes, you read it right – Two-foot- long inflorescences.  These plants will produce a memorable show of long-lasting flowers in late summer.  A spectacular hybrid.

SVO 7620
Clo. NEW HYBRID (Cl. russelliana 'David N.' x Ctsm. tigrinum 'SVO')
The success of the hybrid Black Jade inspired this cross.  Ctsm. tigrinum has a white flower with light pink spots and blooms 2-3 times a year with a cascade of 20-25 flowers per stem. The flowers of Cl. russelliana are lime green with darker green striping and wonderfully fragrant. Plants bloom exceptionally well, and it's not uncommon for plants to bloom with a single bulb producing 2 cascading inflorescences carrying 30-40 flowers! I have high expectations for this cross, which should have several predictable traits: high flower count, long cascading inflorescences, and excellent flower longevity. The less predictable traits are lip shape and flower color (I am hoping for white, but icy green would be nice).  This has significant potential to be an exceptional hybrid! I can hardly wait to see these plants bloom.

SVO 7621
Ctsm. NEW HYBRID (Ctsm. John C. Burchett 'Ursa Major' FCC/AOS x Ctsm. Dagny 'Fantastica')
Ctsm. John C. Burchett (João Stivalli x Susan Fuchs) is a spectacular hybrid! The huge, flat, nearly black lip of the cultivar 'Ursa Major' really impressed the judges, and this plant received a First Class Certificate (FCC/AOS) for Ryan Kowalczyk. 'Ursa Major' blooms 2-3 times a year, and female flowers are often produced first each season, thus this plant has been used frequently as a capsule parent. Ctsm. Dagny (pileatum x Brent's Black Hawk) has several noteworthy qualities: exceptionally rich deep red flower color with a just a spot of bright yellow in the center of the lip, long arching inflorescences carrying 12 -15 flowers each, and plants that bloom 2-3 times a season.   Both parents have big-lipped Catasetums (pileatum and expansum) in their background. Look for this cross to deliver big flowers, flat lips, colors from deep red to the darkest burgundy, and 12-15 blooms per stem 2-3 times a year!!!

SVO 7623
Ctsm. Pileabrosum Green (Ctsm. pileatum v. imperiale 'SVO Blood Red'x Ctsm. tenebrosum 'Very Nice')
The name implies green flowers, but there's nothing green about the flowers coming from this cross! The dark red pileatum v. imperiale and dark burgundy brown of tenebrosum will produce deep burgundy flowers with large flat lips.  This primary hybrid will flower 2-3 times a season.  Limited supply.

SVO 7624       
Ctsm. Ryan Harrington (Ctsm. tenebrosum 'Ed Wise' AM/AOS x Ctsm. denticulatum 'Orange Lip')
This tenebrosum has beautiful flat petals and sepals in dark burgundy with a contrasting green lip.  It was awarded recently, though it has been part of my breeding stock for 18+ years.  Ctsm. tenebrosum is the first Catasetum species to bloom each year.  The denticulatum is from a sib cross ('SVO' AM/AOS x 'SVO II' AM/AOS) and is an excellent grower with great flower quality and an unusual orange lip. This very special plant blooms 3-4 times a year from mid-summer through early winter.  The primary hybrid Ryan Harrington will bloom frequently, with the first flowers in early spring and subsequent blooming throughout the growing season 'til early winter.  Flower color will be a dark burgundy, many will be spotted, and the flattened lips will be lighter in color and densely spotted.

SVO 7626
Ctsm. NEW HYBRID (Ctsm. tenebrosum 'Ed Wise' AM/AOS x Ctsm. callosum 'SVO Black Lip' AM/AOS)
This is a new direction in SVO breeding! Figuring out and capitalizing on the best attributes a species has to offer and pairing it another for overall improvement is what we're all about. Ctsm. tenebrosum is the first Catasetum species to bloom each year, and this recently awarded cultivar has been part of my breeding stock for over 18 years. Flowers have flat petals and sepals in a beautiful dark burgundy with a contrasting green lip, on upright stems of 15-20 blossoms.  The callosum is also recently awarded and is an exceptional example of this species. Flower color is a dark, deep burgundy, and the rich green lip is densely covered with dark spotting. This plant produces 25-30 well arranged flowers on a gracefully arched inflorescence.  These will be easy to grow, and quick to flower.  I am expecting that a mature plant will produce 15+ flowers per stem 2-3 times a year: spring, summer and again in fall. Flower color will be in dark burgundy tones. Lips will be more variable, with some deep green, others spotted and some as dark as the petals and sepals.

SVO 7627
Cyc. NEW HYBRID (Cyc. cooperi 'SVO' FCC/AOS x Cyc. Sevenfold '17 Wonders')
Cycnoches have always been among my favorites; they got me hooked on growing Catasetinae in the first place.  You never forget your first love, and this year there are 6 new Cycnoches hybrids to tempt you.  Cyc. cooperi is by far the most beautiful and dramatic of the Cycnoches species, and the cultivar 'SVO' FCC/AOS can bloom with an impressive cascade nearly three feet long with 41 shapely four-inch-wide flowers! Cyc. Sevenfold (Swan Cascade x warscewiczii) was named for its significant 'sevenfold' increase of flower quality over its parents, and the exceptional cultivar '17 Wonders' produced 17 flowers on its first bloom! This is a complex Cycnoches hybrid with cooperi contributing a significant amount: about 69% of its genetic makeup is cooperi, with lesser contributions from warscewiczii (25%) and barthiorum (6%).  These are going to have high flower count, with mature plants easily producing 25-30 flowers per stem. Flower color will be a rich bronze, and some will be randomly spotted with burgundy.  The warscewiczii in this breeding will contribute a nice large shield-shaped lip.  All in all, this cross is going to be a “cracker,” as my Aussie friends say.

SVO 7628
Ctsm. NEW HYBRID (Ctsm. Portagee Star 'Brian Lawson Sunrise' HCC/AOS x Ctsm. Chuck Taylor 'SVO Sunshine')
Mini-Catasetums have become popular, likely because they have excellent growth and flowering characteristics and the compact growth habit means that everyone has room for a few of these. One of the first notable mini-Catasetum crosses was Chuck Taylor (denticulatum x Portagee Star). The cultivar 'SVO Sunshine' has particularly attractive flowers and is quite floriferous. Check out the picture 2390.  Backcrossing to its parent, Portagee Star, will produce offspring with improved flower size and keep the lovely color without significantly increasing plant size. Big, colorful flowers on a small plant - what's not to like?

SVO 7629
Ctsm. Dentigrianum (Ctsm. denticulatum 'Orange Lip' x Ctsm. tigrinum 'SVO')
Every once in a while, along comes cross so memorable that you want to re-make it as soon as possible. There's one challenge when breeding Catasetums with sexually dimorphic flowers: you need both male and female flowers to make a cross! I waited patiently for two years before female denticulatum flowers were produced, and I saved pollen from my best tigrinum for the occasion. These will be spectacular flowers on miniature plants blooming 2-3 times a season. Take a look at these:  Pic 1, 2 , 3    These are excellent.

SVO 7630
Ctsm. NEW HYBRID (Ctsm. fimbriatum 'Golden Horizon' x Ctsm. osculatum 'SVO')
Having some fun with this novelty cross. Both parents have exotic-looking flowers. Ctsm. fimbriatum has bright yellow flowers finely spotted red and an awesome frilly lip. Ctsm. osculatum has yellow flowers and a lip that looks like it was brushed with red lipstick. Both plants have high flower counts and bloom twice a year. This is a new primary hybrid (a cross between two species), and I'm expecting bright yellow flowers, mostly with fine red spots, and frilly lips with red in the center. Good plant vigor and high flower production will also be a benefit of this intriguing new hybrid.

SVO 7632
Ctsm. NEW HYBRID (Ctsm. Double Down 'XDPYL'x Ctsm. tigrinum 'Very Wide Petals')
Ctsm. Double Down (Chuck Taylor x kleberianum) is a mini-Catasetum with flowers highlighted by a bright yellow lip and dark petals and sepals, thus the name Xtra Dark Petals Yellow Lip. Its small stature, and ease to bloom have made this a great cross and now, hopefully, a great parent as well. Ctsm. tigrinum is a showy species, with white flowers spotted in light pink and displayed in an impressive cascade of 20-25 blooms 2 to 3 times a season.  These will be mini-Catasetums, and we are expecting easy-to-bloom plants that produce a high flower count 2 or 3 times each season.  Flower color will be variable, and each plant will express a different combination of contrasting yellow, deep burgundy, and white.  Similar to SVO 7648.

SVO 7637
Cyc. NEW HYBRID (Cyc. Dark Swan 'Bold Spots' x Cyc. Richard Brandon 'Extra Wide Petals')
This is an advanced Cycnoches hybrid, and the plants will grow quickly and be easy to flower. Dark Swan (Richard Brandon x Chloroge) has produced the darkest colored flowers seen in any Cycnoches. 'Bold Spots' has a green flower densely covered with dark spots, with areas of spotting coalesced into a solid dark brown. The lip is shield-shaped, yellow and spotted as well.  Cyc. Richard Brandon (warscewiczii x Jean E. Monnier) produced robust growing plants with a high percentage of offspring being very floriferous and producing well-shaped flowers. The cultivar used here, 'Extra Wide Petals,' is a real standout. As the name implies, the petals are very wide, the widest I've seen by a fair margin. Flower color is a rich bronze with a white shield-shaped lip, densely spotted with burgundy.  This is a superb opportunity! Flower quality will be exceptional, with very large flowers produced 15 or more per inflorescence. Some will be a near solid deep burgundy, and others a rich bronze, some with dense burgundy spotting. This is an excellent opportunity to acquire plants from this very high-potential cross!

SVO 7644
Ctsm. NEW HYBRID (Ctsm. Chuck Taylor 'Way Good'x Ctsm. Dentigrianum 'Best')
This is going to be a mini-Catasetum. Chuck Taylor (denticulatum x Portagee Star) was a match made in heaven. This cross resulted in many great plants. 'Way Good' has densely spotted flowers with a dark lip sporting a contrasting large yellow spot centrally. It flowers reliably and has excellent arrangement. Ctsm. Dentigrianum (denticulatum x tigrinum) is a breakthrough in mini-Catasetum breeding. It's a primary hybrid, but what it lacks in genealogical complexity it makes up for in charm, with beautifully-formed flowers in white, uniformly spotted with burgundy, and a soft yellow lip with a dentate margin.  Since these are mini-Catasetums, the plants will stay under 6” tall, produce 15 or more flowers per inflorescence, and bloom 2-3 times a season. Flower colors will range from solid dark to spotted, with lips in shades of red and yellow. Easy to bloom in 3” pots.

SVO 7645       
Ctsm. NEW HYBRID (Ctsm. Susan Fuchs 'Burgundy Chips' FCC/AOS x Ctsm. Dentigrianum 'Best')
Ctsm. Susan Fuchs (Orchidglade x expansum) is a well-known hybrid, and the cultivar 'Burgundy Chips,' with its large yellow flowers and bold burgundy spotting, is a proven breeder, with many successful hybrids to its credit.  Ctsm. Dentigrianum (denticulatum x tigrinum) is a breakthrough in mini-Catasetum breeding. It's a primary hybrid, but what it lacks in genealogical complexity it makes up for in charm, with beautifully-formed flowers in white, uniformly spotted with burgundy, and a soft yellow lip with a dentate margin.  This cross may be one of the best of the mini-Catasetums yet produced! We are expecting excellent flower shape and beautifully spotted flowers with full lips, all on a small-growing, easy-to-bloom plant. As a bonus, these should bloom two or three times each year.

SVO 7646       
Ctsm. NEW HYBRID (Ctsm. Dentigrianum 'SVO Upgrade'x Ctsm. tigrinum 'SVO')
Ctsm. Dentigrianum (denticulatum x tigrinum) has beautifully-formed flowers in white, uniformly spotted with burgundy, and a soft yellow lip with a dentate margin.  Crossing it back to one of its parents, Ctsm. tigrinum, with white flowers spotted in light pink and cascades of 20-25 blooms, will reinforce the white color and spotting while lengthening the inflorescence and increasing flower count.  This mini-Catasetum has all the ingredients to be a real show stopper: excellent flower quality, vigorous growth habit and ease of blooming.

SVO 7648
Ctsm. NEW HYBRID (Ctsm. Double Down 'XDPYL' x Ctsm. tigrinum 'SVO')
Ctsm. Double Down (Chuck Taylor x kleberianum) is a mini-Catasetum with flowers highlighted by a bright yellow lip and dark petals and sepals, thus the name Xtra Dark Petals Yellow Lip.  Its small stature, and ease to bloom have made this a great cross and now, hopefully, a great parent as well. Ctsm. tigrinum is a showy species, with white flowers spotted in light pink and displayed in an impressive cascade of 20-25 blooms 2 to 3 times a season.  These will be mini-Catasetums, and we are expecting easy-to-bloom plants that produce a high flower count 2 or 3 times each season.  Flower color will be variable, and each plant will express a different combination of contrasting yellow, deep burgundy, and white.  Similar to SVO 7632.

SVO 7649
Ctsm. NEW HYBRID (Ctsm. Susan Fuchs 'Burgundy Chips' FCC/AOS x Ctsm. Karen Armstrong 'Super Nice')
Over the years, Ctsm. Susan Fuchs has proven itself time and again as an excellent parent, dominant for strong color, good shape and reliable flower production.  Ctsm. Karen Armstrong (Susan Fuchs x denticulatum) is proof of these positive traits. The offspring have well-formed flower in bold colors on free-blooming plants. Thanks to the small-growing denticulatum, plants of Ctsm. Karen Armstrong plant are reduced in size and are thus called mini-Catasetums.  I have wanted to line breed Karen Armstrong back to its Susan Fuchs parent for some time. Line breeding reinforces specific flower and plant qualities, and with the well-known dominant traits of Susan Fuchs, I can envision that this new hybrid will have large flowers with big flat lips, all in yellow with bold red spotting. Plants will be a bit taller than the Karen Armstrong parent and still flower freely, 2-3 time a year.

SVO 7650
Ctsm. Melana Davison (Ctsm. Penang 'Sweetheart' x Ctsm. denticulatum 'Orange Lip')
This is your second chance to get a really special cross.  This grex has produced a variety of eye-catching flower colors, from solid deep burgundy to white blotched burgundy and white with fine red spotting.  Thanks to the influence of the small-growing Ctsm. denticulatum, this is a mini-Catasetum, with mature plants only 5” tall. It sure is a floriferous cross for its stature: expect 15-20 flowers, 2-3 times per season.  Take a look at these pictures from the first batch Pic 1, 2, 3 .  This is a great cross! Everybody has room for a small plant, and if not, you should make room!

SVO 7651       
Ctsm. NEW HYBRID (Ctsm. Extravaganza 'Super Nice'x Ctsm. Dentigrianum 'Best')
Extravaganza (Karen Armstrong x Louise Clarke) is a second generation mini-Catasetum. These produce large flowers on small plants that are easy to bloom, with really nice flower color and shape. 'Super Nice' has amazing flower quality and dark color. Crossing it to the small-growing Dentigrianum will keep plant size down, and these should produce spotted flowers 2-3 times a season. This is the first grex in the 3rd generation of mini-Catasetum breeding, and seeing these bloom for the first time will be amazing!
3” pot $1

SVO 7655       
Ctsm. NEW HYBRID (Ctsm. Millie's Frilly Dragon 'Chocolate Frills' x Ctsm. Hat Trick 'Top Hat' AM/AOS)
This takes the award for the 'coolest' cross on this year's list!  As some of you long-time Catasetum growers know, I've been obsessed with frilly-lipped flowers for many years. Millie's Frilly Dragon (Frilly Doris x Voodoo Dragon) was such a fun cross. The flowers all had excellent frilly lips in a range of nice colors, and the plants were excellent, robust growers that produced lots of flowers on long inflorescences. An equally fun cross is Hat Trick (José Abalo x fimbriatum var. morrenianum). These bloomed with funky, frilly lips on dark burgundy flowers, combining the dark color of fimbriatum var. morrenianum, and the large flower size, dark color and strong upright stems of 20+ blooms from José Abalo. By combining these two parents, we will be assured of frilly lips and high flower count. Flower color will mostly be dark burgundy and chocolate, but some densely spotted flowers will appear.  Overall, this is a super fun cross with lots of potential.

SVO 7676
Cyc. Richard Brandon (Cyc. Richard Brandon 'The Best' x Cyc. Richard Brandon 'SVO II' AM/AOS)
Registered in 2011, Cyc.Richard Brandon (warscewiczii x Jean E. Monnier) produced robust-growing plants that are easy to bloom with high-quality well-shaped flowers. 'The Best,' as the name suggests, is the most outstanding cultivar I've seen, and 'SVO II' has excellent spotting on very large flowers.  Sibling crosses like this can help to bring out the genetic variation that a cross can express. These will vary in flower color and shape, but all will be nice and some will be exceptional.  I'm a big fan of this cross, and the anticipation while waiting to see these bloom is killing me!

SVO 7686       
Cyc. NEW HYBRID (Cyc. Mass Confusion 'SVO' x Cyc. warscewiczii 'SVO')
Mass Confusion - what a name(!), but very appropriate for a cross between two similar-looking species, chlorochilon and warscewiczii. The offspring look like a superior chlorochilon or a slightly inferior warscewiczii, thus Mass Confusion.  Now, I'm making the situation worse by crossing back to warscewiczii! What should we name this cross: Twice Confused, More Confusion, All Confused? If you have any clever suggestions, let me know.  These will look like the two species, with large, green, swan-shaped blooms, shield-shaped white lips and a dark green callus. They will also have hybrid vigor, making them easy to grow and bloom.

SVO 7688       
Cyc. Cryminy (Cyc. Richard Brandon 'SVO' x Cyc. Kevin Clarke 'SVO' FCC/AOS)
One of my favorite genera is Cycnoches; the cascading stems of swan-shaped flowers are so beautiful.  This grex is off the charts!  I exclaimed “Cryminy” when I saw the first one bloom.  The parents are Richard Brandon [(cooperi x barthiorum) x warscewiczii] and Kevin Clarke (herrenhusanum x warscewiczii).  This is a complex Cycnoches hybrid, making it easy to grow and flower.  Expect excellent flower shape in bronze/yellow colors, many with deep burgundy spotting.  A very exciting hybrid! The colors that can be produced here will be one-of-a-kind. You have to check out this picture of the first to bloom.

SVO 7690       
Cycd. Chiriqui (Cyc. warscewiczii 'Giant Swan' x Morm. hookeri 'Fuzz')
Cycnodes (Cycd.) hybrids come from the combination of Cycnoches and Mormodes.  This type of primary hybrid exhibits the best qualities from both parents: the Mormodes is dominant for color, and the Cycnoches is dominant for shape. Cycnodes hybrids have a proven track record, giving excellent quality flowers that garner lots of AOS awards. Chiriqui has been a very successful hybrid. We received a First Class Certificate (FCC) for a plant from the first batch, and I've wanted to remake this cross ever since.  It took some patience, but we saved pollen from 'Fuzz' and finally bloomed 'Giant Swan' with female flowers. “Only” three years later, we have plants available again. These have supremely high potential for fantastic flowers.

SVO 7691
Cyc. NEW HYBRID (Cyc. Cryminy 'Killer' x Cyc. Richard Brandon 'SVO II' AM/AOS)
Cyc. Cryminy (Richard Brandon x Cyc. Kevin Clarke) 'Killer' has color never before seen in a Cycnoches. The base color is bronze/yellow, with bold burgundy spots that coalesce into a solid color in some places, all set off by a contrasting white lip. Just remarkable! Richard Brandon (warscewiczii x Jean E. Monnier) produces robust-growing plants that are easy to bloom, with high-quality well-shaped flowers. This outstanding grex is becoming my go-to parent for making modern Cycnoches hybrids. What will this cross deliver? I expect novel flower color combinations in gold and bronze, deeply spotted with burgundy. Plants should produce 15-20 flowers per inflorescence. As a bonus, these will be easy to grow and flower.

SVO 7692       
Clo. NEW HYBRID (Clo. Alaena Lawson 'Lanie's Warm Fuzzies' AM/AOS x Ctsm. tigrinum 'Wyche' HCC/AOS)
Clowesetum (Clo.) hybrids are made up of Clowesia x Catasetum. They have several important traits: improved flower life, multiple spiking habit, good flower form, and pleasant fragrance. Alaena Lawson (Ctsm. cristatum x Cl. Rebecca Northen) has a charming flower: dainty white blooms spotted red with a frilly lip. Several sets of flowers are produced on long inflorescences in the fall and again in winter. Ctsm. tigrinum has white flowers with light pink spots, held in cascades of 20-25 blooms several times a year.  I am looking for this cross to produce long cascading inflorescences of dainty white flowers with pink spots several times a year, all on a small, mini-Catasetum plant.  When these plants mature, they will be spectacular, with cascades of flowers all around the pot.

SVO 7693       
Fdk. NEW HYBRID (Fdk. Enter Light 'SVO Dark Beauty' FCC/AOSx Ctsm. Orchidglade 'JTM')
Fredclarkeara breeding is just fantastic, with hybrids having beautiful color, superior shape, high flower count, and perfectly arranged flowers that are fragrant and very long lasting.
Enter Light (After Dark x pileatum) has been “spot on” in flower quality, with four AM/AOS and one FCC/AOS awarded so far! Orchidglade 'JTM' is short for 'Jamie's Tortured Midnight' (pileatum x expansum).  This is a very fine cultivar, with exceptionally dark flowers and huge, flat lips. Enter Light is already amazing, and adding back the huge pileatum-based lip of Orchidglade will further increase and flatten the flower and lip size of the progeny, while maintaining the amazing color.  I'm not sure how a cross can get any better than this...

SVO 7694       
Fdk. NEW HYBRID (Fdk. Turning Point 'San Clemente' x Ctsm. expansum 'SVO Midori' AM/AOS)
Over the years we have made many Fredclarkeara (Fdk.) hybrids, and here's one that's been in the planning stages for quite some time. This cross is designed to produce deep emerald green flowers, very unusual for a Fredclarkeara! Turning Point (Mo. Lime Tiger x Ctsm. expansum) was just that, a turning point in deep green flower breeding.  How do you continue to improve?  Reintroduce the deep green color and large lip of Ctsm. expansum 'SVO Midori' AM/AOS again, to strengthen flower color and flatten the lip of the offspring. Being a Fdk., plants will bloom in late fall, and flowers will have excellent durability. If you have ever desired deep emerald green flowers, here is your opportunity.

SVO 7704
Mo. Francisco A. Vargas (Cl.  Rebecca Northen 'Grapefruit Pink' x Morm. hookeri 'Fuzz')
The hybrid genus Mormodia (Mo.) results from crossing Mormodes and Clowesia. Cl. Rebecca Northen (Cl. Grace Dunn x Cl. rosea) is a famous and well-recognized plant. It is easy to grow and has beautiful, frilly pink flowers with a marvelous citrus fragrance, all held on multiple pendent inflorescences.  Morm. hookeri 'Black Fuzz' blooms with 2-3 upright spikes per bulb, each carrying 12-15 flowers with beautiful dark burgundy petals and sepals and a nearly black fuzzy lip. Mormodes are dominant for color, which they transfer to their offspring.  This cross will bloom late in the year with cascading inflorescences carrying 12-16 flowers in shades of burgundy with darker lips. They will also have a very intoxicating fragrance during the day.  Mature plants will be spectacular.   

SVO 7705
Clo. Diane Drisch (Cl. Grace Dunn 'Live Oak' HCC/AOS x Ctsm. tigrinum 'SVO')
This year we're trying some mini-Clowesetums.  The hybrid genus Clowesetum (Catasetum x Clowesia) is known for flower longevity and multiple simultaneous inflorescences.  Grace Dunn (warczewitzii x rosea) produces 15+ pink and green flowers with cute frilly lips on 3-4 pendulous inflorescences from leafless bulbs in mid-winter.   Ctsm. tigrinum is a very special species: small-growing, and flowering several times a season with cascading inflorescences that each hold 15-30 white-cream blooms spotted lightly in red on the petals and sepals.  Equally important are the shape and placement of its wide petals, which fill the space between the dorsal and lateral sepals, creating a full-shaped flower.  This is a great characteristic, which is transmitted to its offspring and very valuable in hybridization.  This mini-Clowesetum will flower at 4-6” tall and bear cascading inflorescences of flowers with excellent shape in pink, white and cream.  The long-lived flowers will be produced in fall and winter.  This promises to be a very charming hybrid! Here is one of the first to bloom Pic.

SVO 7706       
Mo. NEW HYBRID (Cl. Grace Dunn 'Live Oak' HCC/AOS x Morm. ignea 'Orange Blaze')
Grace Dunn (warczewitzii x rosea) produces 15+ pink and green flowers with cute frilly lips on 3-4 pendulous inflorescences from leafless bulbs in mid-winter. Morm. ignea 'Orange Blaze' has amazing flower color, almost a neon orange. Often Mormodes are dominant for flower color in their offspring, and I expect that to be the case here. These will begin to flower at a young age, generally in 3” pots. When mature, the bulbs will produce 3-4 pendulous inflorescences in colors ranging from orange to bonze, though some could be pink, and a few may have red spots.  Mormodias (Clowesia x Mormodes) make excellent specimen plants, flowering profusely when mature.

SVO 7707
Mo. NEW HYBRID (Cl. Grace Dunn 'Live Oak' HCC/AOS x Morm. Jumbo Bacia 'SVO' AM/AOS)
Grace Dunn (warczewitzii x rosea) carries 15+ pink and green flowers with cute frilly lips on 3-4 pendulous inflorescences from leafless bulbs in mid-winter. Morm. Jumbo Bacia (badia x uncia) 'SVO' is surprisingly floriferous, holding up to 37 dark maroon red flowers on each stem. Mormodes is dominant for several characteristics, and this grex will bloom late in the season, with flowers in colors ranging from red to bronze, and a high flower count of 20-25 on each inflorescence.  These also will begin to flower at a young age, generally in 3” pots. Once mature, Mormodias (Clowesia x Mormodes) make excellent specimen plants, flowering profusely with many pendulous inflorescences.

SVO 7708       
Ctsm. expansum (Ctsm. expansum 'Myra' HCC/AOS x Ctsm. expansum 'SVO Midori' AM/AOS)
Ctsm. expansum often takes a back seat to its more popular cousin Ctsm. pileatum.  I suppose this is because expansum is a bit smaller but I think it makes up for this with all of the color varieties. The two parents used here are recently awarded and represent today's standard of excellence in this species. 'Myra' is a typical expansum with green/yellow flowers covered in burgundy spots and a large darker callus, while 'SVO Midori' is an unusual deep green with yellow callus. This combination was purposely made to “pull out” as many color varieties as possible.  Rarely offered for sale, now is the time to get the best genetics for this species.

SVO 7710       
Clo. NEW HYBRID (Clo. Abigail Parsons 'SVO' HCC/AOS x Ctsm. spitzii 'SVO Solid Gold' FCC/AOS)
Abigail Parsons (Cl. Grace Dunn x Ctsm. John C. Burchett) come in a range of colors. The most striking I've seen is the cultivar 'SVO,' with olive green flowers and a rose blush, all beautifully arranged on two inflorescences of 16 flowers each. Receiving an FCC/AOS indicates the high quality of a plant and its flowers. Catasetums spitzii 'SVO Solid Gold' is just such a cultivar. When it was awarded, this plant carried 23 large, solid yellow flowers perfectly arranged on a 2-foot-long inflorescence. Truly an amazing sight!  We are using spitzii in this cross for several reasons: it has a very flat, thick hard lip, that will flatten and broaden the lips of the offspring; it had a pure yellow color that will warm up the olive green and rose blush of the Abigail Parsons; and its high flower count will produce floriferous offspring.  These qualities, along with long flower life, multiple spiking habit, good form, and pleasant fragrance make this is Clowesetum a very good prospect. Wow check out the form and color of this first to bloom of the cross Picture.

SVO 7711
Mo. NEW HYBRID (Cl. Rebecca Northen 'Grapefruit Pink' x Morm. Mimi 'Wide Segements')
Cl. Rebecca Northen (Grace Dunn x rosea) is a well-recognized plant and good for breeding. It is easy to grow and has beautiful, frilly pink flowers with a marvelous citrus fragrance, produced on multiple pendent inflorescences.  Morm. Mimi (lawrenceana x ignea) is very floriferous, blooming with 2-3 upright spikes per bulb, carrying 12-15 flowers each in beautiful orange tones covered in fine burgundy spots. This cultivar also has very wide petals that give the blooms a fullness not often seen in Mormodes. These will flower late in the year with cascades of 12-15 flowers in shades of orange to pink. Mormodias make spectacular plants at maturity, producing lots of charming flowers cascading over the sides of the pot.   

SVO 7723
Clo. White Magic (Cl. warczewitzii 'SVO' x Ctsm. Orchidglade 'Davie Ranches' AM/AOS)
This hybrid was in my collection in the early 1990's. I had one plant with icy green flowers and the other with pure white blooms. I'm not sure what happened to those plants, but after all these years I haven't forgotten about them. When both parents were in flower, I had to re-make this cross.   Cl. warczewitzii has a small, light green flower with darker green stripes. Plants bloom in early winter, and the flowers have a pleasant lemony scent. Ctsm. Orchidglade (pileatum x expansum) has a large flower with a huge lip in light yellow with scattered red spots. Expect full-shaped flowers in light green to white, and a few may be spotted as well. Clowesetums have many good traits:  long flower life, multiple spiking habit, good form, and pleasant fragrance. This grex should be excellent, and there's a distinct possibility that some plants will have pure white flowers.

SVO 7724       
Ctsm. Melana Davison (Ctsm. Melana Davison 'Hoorah' x Ctsm. Melana Davison 'Bombshell')
Melana Davison has been a great grex! Plants have produced a wonderful array of flower colors, all of them beautiful. Sibling crosses help to bring out the genetic variation in a cross, and these will vary in flower color and shape. All will be nice and some will be exceptional! This is a mini-Catasetum, with mature plants only 5” tall, and very floriferous cross. Expect 15-25 flowers produced 2-3 times per season. The two parents used here are spectacular, and I'm really looking forward to seeing these bloom.

SVO 7725       
Ctsm. NEW HYBRID (Ctsm. tigrinum 'SVO' x Ctsm. kleberianum 'SVO')
I am very interested in this cross, partly because Ctsm. kleberianum is so rare. This small-growing species may be extinct in the wild, with very few plants in cultivation. Ctsm. kleberianum blooms with 15-20 well-arranged flowers. The flat lip is a pure yellow, and the petals and sepals are boldly striped - an eye-catching color combination.  Ctsm. tigrinum is a showy species, its white flowers with light pink spots displayed in an impressive cascade of 20-25 blooms 2 to 3 times a season.  Both of these mini-Catasetum species have already shown themselves to be excellent parents. Making new primary hybrids is always interesting, since novel combinations of species reveal fascinating results in many cases. Based on observations of previous hybrids with kleberianum and tigrinum, I'm expecting plants to produce lots of well-spaced flowers with good form. Flower color is harder to predict, but I think that most will be cream with stripes and spots, and a light yellow lip.  This is a super cool new hybrid!

SVO 7726       
Fdk. NEW HYBRID (Fdk. Turning Point 'Green Goddess' x Ctsm. De Etta Harris 'Green Goddess')
The hybrid Turning Point (Mo. Lime Tiger x Ctsm. expansum) was just that, a turning point in deep green flower breeding.  How do you continue to improve on the green color? How about breeding it with another deep green, De Etta Harris (Donna Wise x Crownfox Voodoo)? The cultivar 'Emerald Goddess' is a surprising deep emerald green, a color rarely seen in flowers, with a flat lip and strong upright stem. This cross will give us a range of flower colors, with many being pure deep green, some a rusty-red, and possibly a few with spots.  This is a Fdk., so the flowers will bloom in late fall and have excellent durability.

SVO 7727
Mo. B-C Elvira (Cl. Rebecca Northen 'Hill Top' x Morm. Nitty-Gritty 'Gold and Bronze' )
Cl. Rebecca Northen (Cl. Grace Dunn x Cl. rosea) is a well-recognized plant and very good for breeding. It is easy to grow and has beautiful frilly pink flowers with a marvelous citrus fragrance, held on multiple pendent inflorescences.  Morm. Nitty Gritty (Exotic Treat x rolfeana) has deeply-colored flowers with gold lips and red petals and sepals. Flowers are large, and the plants are very floriferous.  These will flower late in the year, with cascades of 12-15 flowers in shades of yellow/orange to rose, many with dark spots. Mormodias result when a Clowesia and a Mormodes are combined, and they make spectacular hybrids. Mature plants produce lots of charming flowers that cascade over the sides of the pot.   

SVO 7728
Ctsm. saccatum (Ctsm. saccatum 'Brooklyn Botanic Garden' FCC/AOS x Ctsm. saccatum 'Dark Wonder')
This is one of my favorite species, and I'm always happy when these plants flower, which they do 3-4 times a season! Inflorescences can be up to 3' long, holding 25+ well-arranged flowers. Truly outstanding!!!  A bit of history: a while back I made a sibling cross of saccatum ('SVO' x 'SVO II'), and the best plant from that cross was named 'Dark Wonder' for its very dark rich burgundy petals and sepals. This pairing might very well produce the best group of saccatum yet seen; it sure has the genetic potential!

SVO 7730       
Mo. NEW HYBRID (Cl. Grace Dunn 'Live Oak' HCC/AOS x Morm. Copper Tiger)
Grace Dunn (warczewitzii x rosea) produces 15 or more pink and green flowers with cute frilly lips on 3-4 pendulous inflorescences from leafless bulbs in mid-winter.  Morm. Copper Tiger (calceolata x sinuata) has yellow flowers striped in red with red lips.  Mormodes are often dominant for color expression in their offspring, and I expect that to be the case here. These will begin to flower at a young age, generally in 3” pots. When mature, bulbs will produce 3-4 pendulous inflorescences carrying flowers in colors ranging from orange to bonze, some with stripes.  Mormodias (Clowesia x Mormodes) make excellent specimen plants, flowering profusely when mature.  

These last 4 crosses are from Mark Margolis of Miami, Florida. Mark is an excellent grower of Catasetinae and is now trying his hand at making a few hybrids.

M002                 
Ctsm. NEW HYBRID (Ctsm. Kay Lowe 'Sofia Altagracia Margolis' HCC/AOS x Ctsm. Dark Odyssey)
Ctsm.  Kay Lowe (Susan Fuchs x fuchsii) is a hybrid from the early 90's and has been in Mark's collection for many years. Ctsm. Dark Odyssey (Karen Armstrong x Darkness) is a recent development, with small-growing plants produce large dark-colored flowers.  There is potential here for dark colors, and many will be spotted as well.

M003                 
Clo. NEW HYBRID (Clo. Sandy Kasner 'Gramma Susan Price' AM/AOS x Ctsm. Jamie Lawson XOXO)
Clo. Sandy Kasner (Cl. dodsoniana x Ctsm. Alexis Pardo) is a remarkable grex, and Mark has received 11 AOS awards on these to date – very impressive! The plants produce long, cascading inflorescences with 20-30 flowers, mostly in shades of green blushed with rose. Ctsm. Jamie Lawson XOXO (pileatum x John C. Burchett) is a modern large-lipped pileatum-based hybrid. Combining it with Sandy Kasner will improve lip size, hopefully without substantially reducing flower count. A very interesting combination.

M006  
Ctsm. NEW HYBRID (Ctsm. Kay Lowe 'Sofia Altagracia Margolis' HCC/AOS x Ctsm. sanguineum 'Armando B')
Ctsm.  Kay Lowe (Susan Fuchs x fuchsii) is a hybrid from the early 90's and has been in Mark's collection for many years. 'Armando B' is an exceptionally nice sanguineum from Venezuela. Expect upright spikes with flowers in a range of colors from burgundy to soft coral.

M009  
Cl. dodsoniana (Cl. dodsoniana 'Nadia Tavarez' AM/AOS x self)
This is a rarely seen Clowesia species, and Mark is the only person with an awarded cultivar. Plants bloom with several long inflorescences producing 30 or more light green flowers with darker green stripes.  This is very rare in cultivation, and I have never seen it for sale. Get then while you can.