Quote:
Originally Posted by patticake  ...I get VERY confused with all of the name changes. I'm not exactly a dummy, either! ... |
Well you've managed this one rather well so one step at a time eh?
I have to tell ya that I'm going to have a hard time getting my head around the changes inthe Pleurothalid Alliance. It's not just Masevallias that have changed, the genus Pleurothalis has also been split, and into a lot more genera than the masies. It's going to be some time before I get them all learned.
But....
Can I recommend a few things to make it easier to all those out there who are reaching for the aspirin?
1) Take small bites. - Don't feel obligated to sit down tomorrow and start memorizing. I don't know any orchid person, no matter how brilliant, who does this. They all learn through accumulation, gradually adding knowledge as they go.
2) Start with what you know. - If you have a collection of maybe 20-30 orchids, you will probably only have a few orchids affected by name changes, probably a couple of Cattleya Alliance plants, maybe one of the Colmanaras that changed ot Odontocidium, maybe a Masdevallia....rather a
former Massie. For the time being just check to see if any of your plants have been affected by name changes and maybe just learn those names to start.
3) If in doubt, look it up. - Go to the RHS orchid registration database (
Royal Horticultural Society - Plants: Registration of Orchids). If you know the grex, then click on "Grex Name Search" and type the first word of your orchid's grex in the grex field. Leave the genus field blank. The database is very sensitive. Your spelling must be correct and if the grex contains any punctuation like an apostrophe leave it and everything that comes after it off. When you click "Search" you'll get a list of orchids of all genera whos grex contains that which you typed in the field. Ckick on an orchid name for more information. Using these tips will make the database easier for you to use.
4) If all else fails, post somethign on the forum. Someone will probably be able to assist you.
