OHRAGNews NEWSLETTER OF THE ORCHID HYBRID REGISTRATION ADVISORY GROUP ISSUe 5 – aUTUMN 2014 PHOTOS Obituary: Peter Hunt . THE (1936–2013) ORCHID REVIEW IT WAS WITH SADNESS that we learned of ( the death of the former Orchid Registrar, PETER Peter F. Hunt, on 31 December 2013. HUNT ); ); Together with his wife Doreen he was involved JANET in operating the Register of orchid hybrids from CUBEY 1990 until his retirement in February 2001. ( Originally working as an orchid botanist in the JULIAN herbarium at Kew from 1959 to 1971, Peter SHAW was a member of the RHS Orchid Committee ). Welcome to the from 1960 to 1982, and of RHS ORAC (now annual newsletter the Orchid Hybrid Registration Advisory Group) from OHRAG. The from 1992 to 2012, acting as Secretary of that and adaptations, wrote 19 scientific papers Committee from 1997 to 2000. and numerous book reviews. He was also a group is primarily past Secretary to the International Orchid concerned with He and his wife Doreen were largely Commission, to the British Orchid Council, and matters that affect the responsible for the production of three Programme Secretary and Newsletter Editor of registration of orchid Addenda to Sander’s List of Orchid Hybrids the Wiltshire Orchid Society. hybrids, particularly from 1986–90 to 1996–98. With the late Jack Greatwood and Phillip Cribb, he helped The 107th volume of The Orchid Review was nomenclature and to revise the Society’s Handbook on Orchid dedicated to him “in recognition of this huge procedures. This Nomenclature and Registration for its second, commitment to orchids, so painstakingly newsletter presents third and fourth undertaken.” information drawn from editions (right). items that have arisen He was also the He was a generous, kindly and helpful man author of five who was ever ready to share his wide expertise, during the last year. books including or to entertain with anecdotes from his full life. Julian Shaw Discovering Botany An obituary appeared in The Orchid Review A text-only version of this (1979), Orchidaceae 122 (1305): 12 (March 2014). newsletter was distributed with (1973), The Country The Orchid Review, volume Life Book of Orchids x Peterhuntara, a hybrid genus for the 122, Number 1307 (September (1978), and The combination Papilionanthe x Phalaenopsis x 2014). Any citation should International Rhynchostylis x Vanda, was recently named in make reference to the latter. Book of Orchids his honour. n (1979), and The Orchid (1987) with photography by Takashi [email protected] i Kijima, edited a further five translations Published 2014 by OHRAG & RHS Science | RHS Garden Wisley | Woking | Surrey GU23 6QB | Registered charity no: 222879 / SC038262 All text & images © RHS 2014 except where otherwise stated OHRAGNEWS Genera Orchidacearum PHOTOS . volume 6 – further DALTON changes to genera HOLLAND BAPTISTA SINCE THE PUBLICATION in February 2014 of Genera Orchidacearum volume 6, the final volume of ( the series, the following additional changes ORCHID have come to light, which have all been ); ORCHIDEENGARTEN enacted in the Register. • Psychopsiella has been reinstated as distinct from Psychopsis. Changes • Arachnis breviscapa has been transferred in OHRAG to Dimorphorchis. This is the first time that Dimorphorchis has appeared in the Register membership and several new hybrid genera were required to accommodate the hybrids. For details see Psychopsiella limminghei During the past year, Phytotaxa 161 (1): 61–85 (20 Feb 2014). n Peter Furniss (USA) and Frank Röllke (Germany) The use of numerals and alphanumeric codes have both left OHRAG; we would like to thank as grex epithets them for their valuable OCCASIONALLY, NUMERALS HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED in for registered grex epithets. Breeders are input and observations, registered grex epithets as part of a name, advised that there is a place on the application such as Phalaenopsis Nankung’s 4.55 PM, form in the top left-hand corner to record and wish them well for apparently based on the title of a popular the alphanumerical cross code, and that this the future. So far there song. More recently, several breeders in Taiwan code is recorded in the registration database. is one new member, have begun using alphanumeric codes as grex However, it would be appreciated if real Marei Karge-Liphard of names, such as Phalaenopsis Ben Yu JM 167, or names, rather than codes, could be proposed Orchideengarten Nursery, Phalaenopsis Fuller’s 3476. These designations as grex epithets in future applications. may already usefully exist in the nursery as Germany (above), who we cross or seedling numbers, or even as cultivar Numerals will continue to be used in the are pleased to welcome. epithets for statutory plant protection, register when they are part of a longer name, hence their use is understandable. However, or as a year of publication or registration to OHRAG takes the view that they are codes distinguish between homonyms (identical rather than names, and as they may differ names), and in situations where unregistered by only one digit from another designating and unnamed historical hybrids are entered a very different hybrid, it is felt that the use in the register as in the case of Phalaenopsis of these as grex epithets could easily lead to Guillaumin unnamed 4 (Phal. mannii x Phal. confusion, particularly on handwritten labels. Wiganiae) as found in Guillaumin, A. (1930) Hence, OHRAG has recommended that such Arch. Mus. Nat. Hist. Natur. 6 (6): 75–79. n alphanumerical codes no longer be accepted 2 ISSUE 5 . SANDALL TIM . PHOTO OHRAGNEWS Registration by type the details in an email following the order in which information appears on the email application form. The main requirement AN INCREASING NUMBER of applications is that the resulting application request are now dealt with entirely by email. If your software does not allow you should be clear and legible to the RHS While a web page that provides an to write on the form, there are several orchid registration team. electronic service for applications is still options. Some print out the application some way off, the registration team is form, fill it out and then scan the page We try to operate a paperless system happy to accept applications by email. and send that as an attachment. Others for electronic applications, so please try A downloadable application form in pdf produce their own template, closely to avoid applications that are presented format is available at: www.rhs.org.uk/ following the layout and wording of the upside-down, or very dark and difficult to plants/pdfs/plant-registration-forms/ original application form, using a word read. Even if you apply by post, including orchid-hybrid-registration processing program. They are then able an email address helps to speed up a to fill out this template and, after saving response. n This may be filled out electronically a copy, attach it to an email. Still others and sent as an email attachment to prefer to use a spreadsheet such as Excel Above. Recent hybrid Paphiopedilum [email protected] to email applications, and a few simply Emstor, registered in 2013. HIS IS A QUESTION frequently asked To provide answers to these sorts of queries of the registrar. Popular wisdom more is needed than just a list of accepted The usefulness of synonyms Tsuggests that because there is only names; one must include as many names The same hybrid cross may have been one correct name for each plant, the known to be in use as possible and provide made under several different names, especially where parent species or Register should list only one name for enough information about them to genera have been synonymised as each hybrid. Perhaps because the grex satisfy enquirers. The RHS Horticultural classifications change. For example, is parentage-defined and consequently Taxonomy unit operates registers for Phragmipedium Lemoinierianum (Calurum × Sedenii, registered by the Register can be used to trace a plant’s several other plant groups in addition to Lemoinier in 1888) has 3 synonyms: pedigree, some draw a parallel with orchids, including Clematis, conifers, Dahlia, • Calurum Rougieri (Chauvière, 1892) • Compactum (Ingram, 1893) Why are there sometimes several names for the • Lemoinieri (Lemoinier again, also 1888) same hybrid in the Register? Information about the plant may appear in old publications under any pedigree registers for animals, and in Delphinium, Dianthus, Lilium, Narcissus, and of these names. consequence anticipate only one entry for Rhododendron, and these are now styled each hybrid. However, to answer this query as “Register and Checklist of…” to reflect provide details on the original place of ‘‘let us consider what the purpose of the this nomenclatorial function. You may have publication for a name, its synonyms, and Register is. The function of a plant register is noticed this subtle change in the title of the often a description or parentage details. primarily to act as a nomenclatural tool, or Orchid Register supplements issued with They also indicate if the name in question nomenclator, as they are sometimes called. The Orchid Review. should be used or if it is a synonym of That is, an annotated checklist from which another name. In short, a register aims one can obtain information about a name, If one comes across an unfamiliar plant to provide a universal index to all names enabling one to answer such queries as, is perhaps in a nursery catalogue, or even within its particular remit. Therefore, its this name valid? How does it apply? Is this in an old journal, how is one going to use and function extends far beyond the correct name for a plant? And, is this discover further information? This is where use in judging for awards or seeking plant or hybrid known under other names? the registers come in.