This week’s Orchid Wise Orchid of the Week is… Cym Pat Rowland ‘Tartarian’
Parentage: This week’s Orchid of the Week is a cross between Cym. Dorothy Rowe x Cym. Ruby Eyes
Registered: 2006
The reason why it’s our Orchid of the Week:
I have to admit, I prefer a Cymbidium flower that looks like this rather than the more rounded, more socially accepted forms we so often see on the show bench. Over time, judging standards have shifted dramatically. Now they strongly favour roundness as the first trait. As a result, anything outside that ideal rarely gets a look-in—so much so that you could be forgiven for thinking it’s not even worth exhibiting. And don’t bother if you are exhibiting an old hybrid or diploid!
That said, judging standards deserve their own discussion on another day……..!
Personally, I gravitate toward the pointed petals and sepals on this type of flower.
Perhaps that preference comes from my appreciation of species and older hybrid Cymbidiums. Then again, it might simply reflect my own taste. Either way, I find this flower particularly appealing.
In terms of form, it presents as a large standard with upright spikes. The blooms display excellent balance, while a rich, consistent red runs evenly throughout. Moreover, a deep, solid block of red on the labellum really defines the flower’s character. Without that bold lip—if it were lightly spotted or showed variation—I think the overall impact would diminish significantly.
Interestingly, this plant has Cym. floribundum as a grandparent. However, despite that lineage, it shows almost no obvious influence from the species, even just a couple of generations removed.
Catherine Obillo from the United States has generously supplied this image from one of her plants. Catherine has a very impressive collection of Cyms, and this one is featured in her Facebook post on the Cymbidium Orchid Lovers group.
Tracing the plant’s heritage using Orchid Roots, its primary species ancestors are Cym. floribundum, Cym. insigne and Cym. lowianum.