Neofinetia falcata Jujak 朱雀 and Benisuzume 紅雀

[sherene]

very beautiful, I want one!

[delphiguy]

Both are stunningly beautiful... however, im partial to the first one. thanks for sharing.

[blrnut]

OMG! love this one..

[kiwiorchids]

hmm...maybe the Hawkes Bay OS show will have some for sale....i will see.....these look like a member of the Angreacum family.....

Very nice and such a little treasure!

[Lars.Kurth]

these look like a member of the Angreacum family.....

They are part of the Aeridinae subtribe of the Vandeae tribe. So they are closer to Vanda, Aerides, etc. than Angraecum. They are native to Japan, but also found in parts of Korea and China. They should in fact be relatively cold hardy (similar to Dendrobium kingianum) and tolerate light frosts. So you may well be able to grow these outdoors.

The japanese have bred N falcata (which they call Fuukiran), selecting clones which differ from the norm, for centuries and the result are different colours, flower shape and plant shapes. The origins of the Fuukiran have been traced back to the Edo Period in Japan, at about the time of the Bunka-Bunsei epoch (late 18th Century to early 19th Century). At this time, horticulture varieties were “all the rage”, and included many plants, ranging from grasses to trees and the Fuukiran were no exception. The result of this flurry of interest was a high price to pay for these unusual Fuurans. One source states that the same price for an unusual Fuuran equaled the price paid for an entire home with a garden!

During this Period, the Shogun Tokugawa Ienari was a very compassionate collector and grower of the unusual Fuurans. He placed great importance upon these small green plants and went so far as to cover his valuable Fuuran with gold or silver netting to protect the plants. Admirers who came to see his plants had to wear paper masks so as to not breathe on his prized plants. This obsession trickled down to the regional warlords who commanded their clan members to scour the countryside so as to find unusual Fuurans. The warlords competed for the Shogun’s attention by finding more unusual Fuurans than the next warlord.

It is from this period in Japanese history that the term Fuukiran came into being. Literally, this word means “The Orchid (admired by those with) Wealth and Rank”. Today, the translation is sometimes shortened to “Wealth and Rank Orchid”. It is also known as the "Samurai Orchid". Popularity for the Fuukiran decreased at the end of the Edo Period only to be revised after the Meiji Restoration (about 1868) and again after WWII. A few decades ago, some clones still commanded prices of 1000's of $s. Prices are much more reasonable these days, but small plants of some clones still command a few hundred dollars and specimem plants: I'll leave that to your imagination.

[Emeli]

Wao soo pretty
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[Okstoft]

So beautiful! Love the color.

[orchidsal]

It seems that this Japanese admiration/mania has lasted for quite sometime now. In longevity it certainly surpassed 'Tulip Mania' in 17th century Holland. By the looks of these I can see what all the fuss was/is about..............extraordinary flowers! AL

[Brutal_Dreamer]

Benisuzume is outstanding! I love it. Beautiful orchids - both!

cheers,
BD

[Raver]

fantastic blooms, nice color