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Apr 4, 2016 11:06 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Ursula
Fair Lawn NJ, zone 7a
Orchids Plumerias Cactus and Succulents Region: New Jersey Region: Pennsylvania Native Plants and Wildflowers
Greenhouse Ponds Keeper of Koi Forum moderator Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge) Adeniums
I would like to mention that I only feel comfortable adding Orchid species to the database, and have done so on occasion. The main reason for not adding hybrids are the constant changes in Orchid nomenclature which cause errors easily. Having said that, I just took a quick look at some of the Orchid entries in general, got stuck at Cymbidiums, and I was wondering why you add the Grex /hybrid name in single quotation marks. I would consider this an error since single quotation marks are always used to indicate a cultivar/ clonal name, never the hybrid name.

Adding some more
I was curious to see what your entry for Cattlianthe Fire Dance looks like. Hmm, it is listed falsely along with some other synonym names for Guarisophleya Jewel Box. Jewel Box is nowadays also a Cattlianthe, and I would bet your other wrongly listed synonyms are named differently too. I quit looking at this point.
I would strongly suggest to check the Grex at the RHS, before one adds any Orchid Hybrid to the database.
http://apps.rhs.org.uk/horticu...
Last edited by Ursula Apr 4, 2016 11:48 AM Icon for preview
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Apr 4, 2016 1:46 PM CST
Plants Admin
Name: Zuzu
Northern California (Zone 9a)
Region: Ukraine Charter ATP Member Region: California Cat Lover Roses Clematis
Irises Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Plant Identifier Garden Sages Plant Database Moderator Garden Ideas: Master Level
The admins also only feel comfortable adding orchid species to the database. Other entries have to be "doctored" to be listed in our database. The problem is that the naming conventions for orchids do not agree with the rules of our database. We have no appropriate place for the name of the grex. It can't be part of the botanical name because that's confined to the genus and species. It therefore is entered on the line for the cultivar name, and our system automatically encloses cultivar names in single quote marks. I don't know the solution. Should the grex be listed as part of the common name for the cultivar?

As for the Cattlianthe/Guarisophleya issue, neither is the accepted name of a genus although Guarisophleya was listed as one in our database 5 years ago. I have therefore deleted the entry for Guarisophleya. Checking the grex at the RHS is no help as long as the orchid naming conventions disagree with the way our database works.
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Apr 4, 2016 2:11 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Ursula
Fair Lawn NJ, zone 7a
Orchids Plumerias Cactus and Succulents Region: New Jersey Region: Pennsylvania Native Plants and Wildflowers
Greenhouse Ponds Keeper of Koi Forum moderator Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge) Adeniums
I hear you, or should I say, I feel your pain? Smiling
Those changes are certainly still ongoing and many times one does wonder at yet another name change. I myself look up these hybrids pretty much all the time to make sure I am not giving a wrong name. I check the species too if I am not sure at apps.kew.org. ( which seems to be down every so often...)

Why can't the Grex simply added instead of the species? As in Genus Grex 'Cultivar'? Not sure if I understand your question.

What got me started was a t-mail regarding the addition of someone's Orchid photos, which I am sure are very pretty. Remembering some of the somewhat curious additions at other times I was not so sure how helpful those additions might be down the road. Except perhaps if one regards this endeavor as pure joy to look at beautiful Orchid pictures - I have no problem with that!

Thanks Zuzu! Much appreciated!
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Apr 4, 2016 2:27 PM CST
Plants Admin
Name: Zuzu
Northern California (Zone 9a)
Region: Ukraine Charter ATP Member Region: California Cat Lover Roses Clematis
Irises Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Plant Identifier Garden Sages Plant Database Moderator Garden Ideas: Master Level
The Grex just doesn't work as part of the botanical name (Genus Grex 'Cultivar'). Our botanical names are Latin and they consist of the genus and species. The species is either one word or two words separated by f., var., or subsp. The species name can't be replaced by the name of a Grex. Grex names are not Latin, and a Grex name can consist of several words or the names of the plants involved in the cross (something that can be listed in the parentage field of a cultivar entry instead).

I'm sure there's a way to get around these problems. There must be an appropriate way to list orchid cultivars in our database, but I have so little experience with orchids that I can't even try to come up with a solution. I hope some other people chime in with suggestions.
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