Guarianthe (formerly Cattleya)

[kmarch]

I just learned today that the RHS has accepted a generic name change for 4 species and 1 natural hybrid formerly classified as Cattleyas. The new genus into which they have been placed is: Guarianthe.

The 4 species affected are:
Cattleya aurantiaca - now - Guarianthe aurantiaca
Cattleya bowringiana - now - Guarianthe bowringiana
Cattleya patinii - now - Guarianthe patinii
Cattleya skinneri - now - Guarianthe skinneri

The natural hybrid affected by the name change is:
Cattleya x guatemalensis - now - Guarianthe × guatemalensis

This along with the renaming of the Brazilian Laelias as Sophronitis and the reclassification of Schomburgkias (which i'm still researching - stay tuned) will have a significan impact on the generic names of many of our orchids.

For example: many of us have the wonderful and famous Cattleya Chocolate Drop (C. guttata x C. aurantiaca) in our collections. Because the aurantiaca is now Guarianthe, the new generic name for Chocolate Drop is now Cattlianthe Chocolate Drop.

[chefatplay]

Kevin, my grower said my Onc. Mendenhall 'Giant' was reclassified also. Can you refresh my memory and tell me what is now? I believe it starts with a "G"? Many of these proper names are hard for me to get in my mind until I read it several times. Must be the time bandit...

[Anton]

At our Orchid Club meeting last Wednesday one of the guys, who is a judge as well was showing slides of various comps he had attended and showed top plants from them.

Time and time again he mentioned Colmanaras and when I quizzed him on it he told me people don't want to change to Odontocidium.

I then asked, shouldn't it be up to the judges to force the name change to correct terminology? His answer to that was most of the growers and judges had been in the game a long time (indicating 'ol timers) and don't take to name changes to well.

What's your comments on this, I am just curious, from a trainee judge who doesn't fit the 'ol timers tag.

[kmarch]

Originally Posted by chefatplay

Kevin, my grower said my Onc. Mendenhall 'Giant' was reclassified also. Can you refresh my memory and tell me what is now?

It's Psychopsis Mendenhall.

[prisana]

Here I go again ..making corrections in my log book.. Thanks for the heads up Kevin..I wouldn't have known otherwise.

[kmarch]

Originally Posted by Anton

At our Orchid Club ... he mentioned Colmanaras and when I quizzed him on it he told me people don't want to change to Odontocidium.

Well Anton, truth be told, I don't want to change the names either (it sure would be easier) but ultimately I have to ask myself the question: Am I going promote the understanding and clarity of orchid names or am I going to promote confusion and inaccuracy?

I would like to see orchid growers, especially those who run nurseries, and orchid judges be professional and make the effort and promote understanding and clarity in orchid names. Not doing so will result in 2 different sets of names for our plants. In my opinion, having a system by which different groups of orchid people call plants by different names is far worse than a system that is flexible and contains occasional name changes.

Originally Posted by Anton

I then asked, shouldn't it be up to the judges to force the name change to correct terminology?

Force? Instead of "force" an we use "take the initiative to educate"? I do think judges should use the correct names themselves and I do think judges have a role in educating growers and hobbiests and clubs on the name changes. Judges are often asked to speak at club meetings and this might be an opportunity to be helpful in this respect. But the responsibility does not lie with judges alone. Nursery growers should take the time to tag their plants correctly and pass correct info on to their customers. Clubs should educate their members and those clubs that host shows should make sure that plants entered in their shows are properly named as members of the general public who attend the shows should not be subjected to mis-tagged plants. If a club felt they didn't have the expertise to do this, I'd be happy to help them out. And finally as hobby growers, we should know about the plants we're growing (I could cite several forum members who are great examples of people who are eager to understand their plants in this way).

Sometimes these name changes can be daunting but if each of us carried even a little of the load I honestly feel it wouldn't be that bad.

[arleneg]

Kevin,

Several days ago, I received an email from a fellow orchid society member about the name change. My initial reaction was "just when I'm getting to know all the names, they change it". (sigh)

As the new newsletter editor of my local orchid society, I've already included the info on our next issue since about half of the members don't have email addresses. Therefore, I mail out hard copies.

It will take a while for many of us to become familiar with the new names. When we finally learn it, then it will change again.

[chefatplay]

Kevin, as always, thank you again for the new information. I have updated my tag. In my head I'm memorizing, psychopsis, psychopsis, phychopsis..... Is it pronounced fi cop sis or si cop sis. Oh heavens, I have so much to learn. Thank you for your patience.

[Tobi]

Kevin,
I believe I read about this nomenclature genus change a few weeks ago.
Are these former Cattleyas the cool to intermediate ones from Central America?

[Anton]

kevin, there are acouple of judges in our club who actually do write on the plant information slip "Next time please label this plant as XXXXX. as this is the correct name for it".
That's what I mean by "forcing" the changes.

DON'T TAKE ME SO LITERALLY........ Sheeesh.

[fred]

thats a good idea Anton

I also think and I hope my Society does this is to have a speaker at one of the monthly meeting,s to let the members know of the name changes.
Plus a print out may also be good.

[kmarch]

Originally Posted by arleneg

It will take a while for many of us to become familiar with the new names.

I'm in the same boat as you arleneg, especially with the 5 Cattleyas I've posted about in this thread. The new generic name for them is so different.

Originally Posted by arleneg

When we finally learn it, then it will change again.

Well maybe, not necessarily. The Cattleyas had been Cattleyas for ages....decades even. So it's very possible that the 3 changes that have recently been topics of discussion on this forum, namely Colmanara Wildcat, the Brazilian Laelias, and these 5 Cattleyas, could stick for decades as well.

Originally Posted by chefatplay

In my head I'm memorizing, psychopsis, psychopsis, phychopsis..... Is it pronounced fi cop sis or si cop sis.

si-COP-sis

Originally Posted by chefatplay

Oh heavens, I have so much to learn.

You and me both!

Originally Posted by Tobi

Kevin,
I believe I read about this nomenclature genus change a few weeks ago.
Are these former Cattleyas the cool to intermediate ones from Central America?

They are Central American orchids and I know that aurantiaca can tolerate quite cool temps. I have not grown the other species so I'm not as sure about those.

Originally Posted by Anton

kevin, there are acouple of judges in our club who actually do write on the plant information slip "Next time please label this plant as XXXXX. as this is the correct name for it".
That's what I mean by "forcing" the changes.

Yeah I think that's a great idea! I actually talked to a grower at a recent about a couple of his tags and he thanked me for the info. My impression is that more often or not people appreciate receiving the info.

[chefatplay]

psy chop sis, psy chop sis... mantra of the day. I'm just glad I'm not into catts. Cattinis, yes, cattleyas, no.

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

The change to Guarianthe took place several years ago, and I recall reading that the name was chosen to reflect some aspect of the people in the area where it grows. Then a short time later, I read that the change to Guariathe was off for some reason, don't remember why, and I am thinking so much for 'showing respect for the indigenous people'. So now it is back on again it seems. I am not changing any tags. Count me an old fogy. There are some benefits of getting old. You can be as obstinate as you want, and no body complains.

[snowballsarebad]

So I decided to look up a plant of mine on the RHS grex names. It's an LC Ken Battle "Gold Crown". Apparently, with the new name changes in laelias and cattleyas...my plant is now Guarisophleya Ken Battle. Great, what an elegant name.
Of course, I could be wrong. I'm gonna look up some of my other cat hybrids and see what they are too.

[_cor]

Opps to fast!