Orchid traits

[ATester]

As I am a said "newbie" to the orchid world, this is something I am sure there are a million and one answers to this question, and this is probably one of the best places to start. As far as orchid traits are concerned I am (near 100%) sure that each tribe, sub-tribe, species, etc have specific traits...of course there would be, otherwise how would we be able to classify them, right? But...for each species and subspecies, are there traits that are considered dominant? I have noticed from looking at different hybrids that you can definitly see the traits from both parents, but just as brown eyes in Homo sapiens is dominant over blue, what are specific dominant traits in orchids. I understand that this is a BIG topic and therefore am probably not being specific enough.

[Ennui]

Even though I'm new too,
I've done some reading
(sorry no links handy) and
to be as non-specific and general as possible,
I think it does vary from species to species.
Like, (and noone flame me, I'm just thinking off the top of my head)
Phrag Besseae imparts a red small shape,
and so does Sophrinitis (I think that's the right name,
the small red South American member of the cat. alliance)
so these cases red is dominant,
but in phals i seem to remember that it's hard to get a red
that's not purple or pink.
but anyway, from one newbie to another, I think of it like
a ladder, not a binary system,
where one trait could constantly get "one -upped" by another.
For some really good reading,
here's a thread you might have already seen on ploidy,
but when I re-read it paying attention
to the heterozygous and homozygous parts,
in the context of inheritable traits,
it really added a new dimension:
Ploidy Discussion

[LJA]

Aaron, yes, as Ennui said, which traits are dominant and which are recessive will completely vary from species to species, and when you throw hybridization into the mix, well, it all kind of goes up for grabs. Jmoney noted that on many species, the pod-carrying parent will be dominant with its color. Certain genera will always impart their form, others, their size or blooming season. But unless you confine your exploration to specific primary hybrids or species, there's really going to be no way to adequately answer the question.

[ATester]

That is what I thought Actually it is something that I find quite interesting, and I have "browsed" over "ploidy" but at the time I didn't have the leisure of reading through it...but since it has been suggested and is quite relevant, I think I will settle myself down here with dinner and read on. (And I know it will be more exciting than my dinner !) Unfortunatly I think plant genetics are a little more complicated than what I was taught in all of my biology classes those many years ago.