> If it's not true then all is good > in the world of Aussie natives (mostly!!)
Dendrobium kingianum var silcockii is still generally recognised as a variety although the taxonomy of D. kingianum below species level itself is subject to debate and best left to the taxonomists. Others would call silcockii merely a colour form of D. kingianum, just as bi-colour forms of D. bigibbum aren't given varietal status. I would speculate that this rumour may have arisen from the doubt expressed by some judges that an orchid labelled as Dendrobium kingianum is actually a 'kingie'. Given that some grexes such as D. Rutherford Bluetongue have over 90% kingianum in the background, they appear very kingianum-like in shape and colour but the small percentage of other species in the inheritance may arouse suspicion due to some anomalous feature - often labellum shape and size. D. kingianum's labellum typically has a rather small mid-lobe. I'm certain this happens in other orchids as well. Cheers...Steve _______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [email protected] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
