Lucy,
here is our OCE' s explanation!!
Lc. Candy Corn is now Cattlianthe Candy Corn but that is not important really!
All images that I can find are of two tone white to cream colored flowers marked with light to medium yellow or Orange. So where did her Orange and red lipped flower come from?
#1 it is not from the Candy Corn. Orange/red lip describes its parent Trick or Treat.
#2 in complex hybrids, with lots of genes "swimming in the old gene pool" these oddly colored flowers could appear. Since it is NOT a mericlone, there is no guarantee of a two toned white and yellow flower. You can't know the color until the seedlings bloom!
#3 since this is white or cream and yellow flower, where DID THE WHITE COME FROM??? Parents are all solid colors, orange, yellow orange, pink lavender and lavender. No hint of white anywhere!!!!
BUT on further research, one parent of this 1983 cross is C. Dubiosa'1890'. Dubiosa 1890 was a WHITE flower with broad form, not star shaped. There is your white in the gene pool!! Other awarded Dubiosas were lavender!!
Unfortunately in complex hybrids like Candy Corn, color sports or mutants are quite common. In mericlones, those sports would be very rare. But in this case, this was probably NOT a mericlone since Candy Corn was a disappointing seller and a poor parent! For something to have been around for 40 years and yet has only be used in breeding a few times, it is likely to have produced offspring that were commercial failures. Or as a parent, all the kids were ugly!!! Ha ha ha
Back to Ursula
Here is a link with pictures, which might help illustrating this
https://orchidroots.org/detail...
Thanks Bill!
