This week’s Orchid of the Week is… Cym. Lumines
Parentage: This Weeks Orchid of the Week is a cross between Cym. Vanguard × Cym. Lady McAlpine
Registered: 2005
The reason why it’s our Orchid of the Week:
Cym. Lumines is our Orchid of the Week this week because of the very clean, classic ice green colour, which provides a magnificent backdrop and contrast to the very bold red lip. Simple as that! It is a very recognisable flower and sits beautifully in any collection. It’s not in demand like the newer spotted and striped varieties. However, the contrast to those varieties when it sits amongst them in a display is hard to miss.
One of the parents, Cym. Vanguard (registered in 1957), is an important part of many modern Cyms and has some other well known parents in the background. Cym. Vanguard has been used over 80 times in breeding and gives many modern Cymbidium hybrids their green colour. Cym. Lady McAlpine (registered in 1982), hasn’t been so lucky with the breeders and only has four offspring to its name. Cym. Lumines hasn’t been used to register any progeny as yet but there may be some opportunity for it with a backyard breeder? And if anyone has a spare piece out there, I’d be glad to take it off your hands! I have a few ideas on what to use it with!
Looking back at the original species ancestors of this plant, using Orchid Roots, Cym. insigne, Cym. lowianum, Cym eburneum, Cym. hookerianum and Cym. erythrostylum are the major contributors present in the distant background.