How to name a cross?

[raybark]

Ahh, thanks Michael!! So, double quotes don't really mean anything, and single quotes mean it's a clonal name. It doesn't matter if it's awarded; it just means it's a clone. That then distinguishes that particular plant from the other plants that vendor sells. So, any seller can name any clone whatever they like, so long as it's a clone.

So if I see names in single quotations, that means the plant is an asexually produced clone. Therefore, the name of a seedling that is produced from a cloned plant cannot carry the clonal name, even if it is a "selfing" of that clone.

I think I get it now! YAY!!

Thanks for clearing all this up, friends!!

Actually, that is an incorrect grasp of the situation. Sorry.

The moniker in the single quotes is the cultivar epithet, where cultivar is short for "cultivated variety". It is simply used to distinguish one particular plant from another of the same species or cross. Whether it is from a sexually- or asexually reproduced source is irrelevant. I think the confusion is that we often refer to that as the "clonal name".

In the "plant 1 and plant 2" example given above, the '1' and '2' would be the cultivar names, no different than 'First Rays' and 'OrchidGirl' could be.

Basically, ANYONE can assign a cultivar name to a plant if they choose to do so. It is unethical to change it, if one already has been given. If that plant is asexually reproduced (divided or replicated from meristematic tissue - cloned), its duplicates will continue to carry that name. If any of them get an other-than-cultural award (those are really given to the grower, not the plant), that award is applicable to all of them. In the case of an award, the plant MUST be given a cultuvar epithet, to distinguish it from others of the same species or cross.

If that plant is used in sexual reproduction, the cultivar name does not apply to the offspring, and any awards do not apply, either.

One last thing - in your first post you said something to the effect of "they are seedlings, not clones". How do you know that? If the vendor is selling Phal. Corona 'Lemon Bomb' plants that are true clones, but simply small plants, they would be indistinguishable from sexually-reproduced Phal. Corona seedlings. Again I view the confusion as being terminology-based: "seedling" is often used to mean "small, immature plants", and not necessarily to indicate "grown from seed". Unless you know that vendor to be unknowing or disreputable, you're probably OK to trust that they are clones of the original plant.