世界各国で新型コロナウイルス深刻な影響がでていますが、皆で協力して頑張れば、克服できると信じています。
The new coronavirus has been seriously affected in many parts of the world, but we believe that if we work together we could overcome it.
今回紹介するのは、セミアルバのLc.Taida Swan ‘Taida’です。この品種は、2001年の登録でさほど新しい品種ではありませんが、セミアルバの交配を紐解く上でよい例になるのではないかと思います。

以下にLc.Taida Swanの交配系統図を示します。見にくい場合は、Taida Swanをクリックしてください。なお、緑色のC.Rita Reneeは、一部省略して記載しています。

御覧の通りLc.Taida Swanの原種構成においては、C. warscewiczii、C.Mossiae、C.gaskelliana等花の大きい雄大な原種が多く用いられており、花形を良くするC.trianae、リップの色を良くするC.dowianaが散りばめられているがわかります。また、Lc.Taida Swanの構成の内、旧Laelia系統でペタルをフラットにするL.pumila、強健でリップの美しいL.purpurataが交配の初期に使用されています。
セミアルバ作出の交配の初期においては、C. warscewiczii ‘Frau Melanie Beyrodt’、C.mossie reineckiana ‘Young’s variety’が使用されていたと言われています。しかし、ここで注意したいのは、Lc.Mildred Rivesの祖父にあたるブルーで記載したC.mossieと黄色で記載したC.Enidです。RHSの記録の上では、片方は原種、もう一方は登録の古い一代交配種となりますが、実際に使用されていたのは、非常に進化したC.MossiaeおよびC.Enidであることです。1900年代初期から1970年位まで、米国ではカトレアの切り花産業が非常に盛んで、その中でもC.mossie は主力の品種であり、C.Mossiae(シブリング、セルフ等の交配品種)が大量に生産されていました。その中で花形が大きく花弁がフラットに咲く強健なC.Mossieが選別されて、それらを基にまた新たな改良されたC.Mossiaeが誕生していきました。同様にC.Enidも選抜、改良が行われ初期のC.Enidから数段かけ離れた進化を遂げたと思われます。ちなみに、非常に色が濃くて整形のC.mossiae ‘Willlowbrook’もシブリング、セルフ等の交配が繰り返されて作出された交配種です。
私見ですが、セミアルバの交配について特に大きな貢献をしたのは、米国のOrchidhavenと呼ばれていたThe Patterson nurseryのMr.Harold Pattersonさんだと思います。オールドカトレアファンには、懐かしいLc. De Loris Ziegfeld(Lc.Princess Margaret x C.R. Cadwalader), C. Catherine Patterson(C.Enid (1898) x C. Mrs. Frederick Knollys)もMr.Harold Pattersonさんの作品です。
また、Lc.Taida Swanに非常に近い交配にLc.Orglade’s Grand(Lc.Mildred Rives x Lc.Persepolis)があります。どちらも素晴らしいセミアルバですが、今後どのような進化を遂げるかたいへん楽しみです。
なお、Lc.Mildred Rivesについての詳しい解説が、スタンダードカトレアの会の会長の小宮山さまのブログ:https://ameblo.jp/catparadise2316/entry-12471939834.htmlにありますので、是非ご覧いただければと思います。

今回は、新たに交配系統を載せてみましたが、わかりずらいでしょうか。mailbox@cattleyartへご意見等をいただけましたら幸いです。
この文章は、Dr.Hackneyさん、Mr.A.A.Chadwickさん、Mr.H.Yamamotoさん他の本を参考にして記載しましたが、全ての文責は私にあります。
This time, I would like to introduce Lc.Taida Swan’Taida ‘ Semi Alba cattleya. This variety is not so new as it was registered in 2001, but I think it will be a good example for studying semi-alba cross.
The following shows the mating system diagram of Lc.Taida Swan. Part of the green C. Rita Renee is omitted.
You can see, in the species composition of Lc.Taida Swan, many large majestic species such as C. warscewiczii, C. Mossiae, C. gaskelliana are used, and C. trianae that improve flower shape, C. dowiana that add the passionate lip color are scattered.
Also, among the Lc.Taida Swan’s composition, L.pumila, which flattens the petal in the former Laelia strain, and L.purpurata which has a strong and beautiful lip, are used in the early stages of hybridizing.
It is said that C. warscewiczii ‘Frau Melanie Beyrodt’ and C. mossie reineckiana ‘Young ’s variety’ were used in the early stages of hybridizing for aiming fine semi-alba. What I would like to note here are C.mossie described in blue and C.Enid described in yellow, which is the grandfather of Lc.Mildred Rives. According to RHS records, one is the original species and the other is an old registered first-generation hybrid, but what was actually used was the highly evolved C. Mossiae and C. Enid.
From the early 1900s to around 1970, the Cattleya cut flower industry was very active in the United States, of which C.mossie was the main variety and C.Mossiae (hybrid variety such as sibling and self) was produced in large quantities. Among them, strong C. Mossie with large flower shape and flat petals were selected, and based on them, a new and improved C. Mossiae was born. Similarly, C.Enid is also selected and improved, and it seems that it has evolved several steps away from the initial C.Enid. By the way, C.Mossiae ‘Willlowbrook’, which has a very dark color and is well shaped, is also a hybrid produced by repeated hybridizing such as sibling and self. In my opinion, Mr. Harold Patterson of The Patterson nursery, who was called Orchidhaven in the United States, made the most significant contribution to the breeding of semi-aruba. For old cattleya fans, the nostalgic Lc. De Loris Ziegfeld (Lc.Princess Margaret x CR Cadwalader), C. Catherine Patterson (C.Enid (1898) x C. Mrs. Frederick Knollys) are also works by Mr. Harold Patterson. A detailed explanation of Lc.Mildred Rives can be found in the blog of Mr. Komiyama, chairman of the Standard Cattleya Society: https://ameblo.jp/catparadise2316/entry-12471939834.html. This time, I added a progency chart. We would appreciate it if you could send us your comments to mailbox @ cattleyart.
I wrote this sentence with reference to Dr. Hackney, Mr. A. A. Chadwick, Mr. H. Yamamoto and other books, but I own all the responsibility.
Dr. Courtney Hackney allowed to up his comments and picture of Dr.Courtney’s Lc.Mishima Flash.

You may remember that I love the semi alba cattleyas, so happy to see your link. It was a difficult color combination for early hybridizers to stabilize, largely because of the species that provide the key genes. C Rita Renee ‘Matriarch’ was one as was the 4N C Enid v alba. There was a hybrid that I think was first made in Japan, Lc Mishima Flash. I made it also using Lc Melody Fair ‘Carol’ x Lc Starting Point ‘Unique’. Both have C Enid v alba in their backgrounds and are tetraploids. Lc Melody Fair has a large dose of trianaei, which adds the form to progeny. The Lc Starting Point ‘Unique’ has an attribute very different than other clones of the grex in that the flower is very “flat” compared to other clones of the cross, which is how it got the clonal name ‘Unique’. Every seedling I have bloomed from my cross has been excellent. My bet is that there are also some great clones of the original cross in Japan. The hybrid should be remade in Japan as it is a great hybrid.
I would like to receive cattleya freaks comments.