Eulophia keithii

[LJA]

From Thailand, little green flowers so small I can't focus them properly--4 mm maybe?--this was some of Gin's "nuts and bolts" that came in on a combined auction deal with the Dendrochilum I was actually shooting for. Probably right up Kev's alley, but blooms are a little too insignificant for my taste. (Why people bother cultivating these things once they know what the flowers look like I have no idea, but to each his own....) Glad I bloomed it; now I'm ready to move on....

[uncasteeb]

Why people bother cultivating these things once they know what the flowers look like I have no idea

Yes i tend to agree.
I think i would have to break out the magnifying glass for that 1.

[Gin]

I think it is cute , diffrent . Gin

[Sue]

(Why people bother cultivating these things once they know what the flowers look like I have no idea, but to each his own....)

I would like to try to cross this with Galeandra, Spathoglottis, Phaius, or Calanthe. If you felt like pulling some pollen off of it, that would be awesome. Alternately, if you really do want a new home for it, I'd be glad to take it in.

[TundraKev]

Well, it kind of depends on what the whole plant looks like. I'm not always into the tiny ones just because they're tiny. The jury is still out on this one.

[Piper]

Little, cute (not pretty, but cute) and strange.

Julie

[LJA]

Sue, just curious, what qualities about the bloom are you looking to capture by hybridizing with it?

Odd thing about the plant--the PBs are pretty big compared to this thin stalk of a spike and the diminutive flowers. This is one of those deciduous plants; everything goes over winter and you need to just barely water till the spike shows up and new growth starts.

[Sue]

Sue, just curious, what qualities about the bloom are you looking to capture by hybridizing with it?

Well, if I remember correctly, Eulophia tends to have a high flower count, so that's one good breeding quality, especially when paired with attributes in the other parent such as fewer, large, and successive flowers (Galeandra), or large, colorful, but few flowers (such as Phaiocalanthe Kryptonite). An increase in flower count would be worth the decrease in size with these, especially if the offspring would bloom more than once a year (as Eulophia is supposed to – Spring and Fall, from what I've read).

I've actually kinda been looking for Eulophia.

Anyhow; the real main reason is my facination with CymbidiumGate. According to the RHS, Eulophia has only been crossed with Oeceoclades. My bet is that it can breed with a number of different genera, and I'd like to find out. It could result in some interesting hybrid traits, plus, no matter how insignificant the hybrids are . . . it's just fun to have a completely strange cross from the genetic backwaters. Like the Porrovallia flask I just put into compot; I don't expect anything spectacular, but it's still really cool for no other reason than that it's a cross between Porroglossum and Masdevallia.

[LJA]

Aha--a genetic experiment!

I like experiments--a lot!

Sure, I'd be happy to send you the plant--it'll go out tomorrow. If something possibly cool ever comes of the breeding, reserve me some seedlings!

[Sue]

Crap! Now I have to keep it alive and rebloom it!

I'll warn you now: I'm going to insist upon at least reimbursing you for postage, but will threaten to pay some extra for the plant itself and/or retaliate with sending you a few seedlings at least. It's actually about time for me to post a 'for trade/sale' thread, now that I've finally potted up those Porrovallia. Actually, I think I've got a couple of things around which you might like to play with. I'll PM you about this.