This orchid is a cross between Epidendrum ciliare, an orchid species
native of Puerto Rico and Blc. Toshie Aoki a complex Cattleya hybrid. Its name is
Amandara Rafael Sobrino made by Dr. Rafael Sobrino. The flower of this hybrid
favors the shape of the Epi. ciliare parent. The Blc. Toshie Aoki influence is obscured to
such an extent in this hybrid that if one saw this plant with no information
about its parentage, one would have hardly guessed that Blc. Toshie Aoki was
involved. This plant represents a departure from traditional orchid breeding. Most hybridists pursue the goal of very flat
flowers with wide floral segments and round lips. They would hardly use a plant with the
idiosyncratic fringed and elongated lip of Epi.
ciliare when there are so many Cattleya hybrids that carry in their
genome a concentration of the choosiest traits in an already advanced
form. For me this plant represents and
experiment to see how the traits of the parental species would mesh and present
themselves in a flower. As for what I
think of the flower, I can say I like it. But the truth is, to quote the romans,
“De coloribus et gustativus non
disputandum”.
